What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Hoffmann]

It's been a while since I listened to it and prefer it to the Pappano.

I haven't listened to that in a while, either. Time for a listen, I think!

[Hoffmann]

I was listening to bits and pieces of Met Opera Radio on Sirius this afternoon in the car - Lucia di Lammermoor - and I thought I was listening to Maria Callas, and thought that couldn't possibly be right. But Callas' voice, of course, is unmistakeable. Then, my good friend Margaret Juntwait came on at intermission to say that the (excellent) performance was the only Met broadcast Callas ever did. Shame, that.

I got home and decided I needed to hear the opera the whole way through but went with Sills instead:

[Soave_Fanciulla]

It's been a while since I listened to it and prefer it to the Pappano.

Funny. I way prefer the Pappano.

[Adrian]

I was listening to bits and pieces of Met Opera Radio on Sirius this afternoon in the car - Lucia di Lammermoor - and I thought I was listening to Maria Callas, and thought that couldn't possibly be right. But Callas' voice, of course, is unmistakeable. Then, my good friend Margaret Juntwait came on at intermission to say that the (excellent) performance was the only Met broadcast Callas ever did. Shame, that.

I got home and decided I needed to hear the opera the whole way through but went with Sills instead:

Excellent choice, the duet : Lucia ,perdona etc between Sills and Bergonzi is second to none .
And the glass harp makes it very special to .

[Clayton]

Excellent choice, the duet : Lucia ,perdona etc between Sills and Bergonzi is second to none .
And the glass harp makes it very special to .

I love that recording and the glass harp

Unfortunately Donizetti never heard his original scored version as he could not find anyone to play the instrument for his performances.



I like to think he has access to spotify now and can listen to Schippers' recording with a smile.

[Clayton]

Ponchielli: La Gioconda
Maria Callas (La Gioconda), Gianni Poggi (Enzo), Paolo Silveri (Barnaba), Fedora Barbieri (Laura), Giulio Neri (Alvise), Maria Amadini (La Cieca), Piero Poldi (Zuàne), Armando Benzi (Isèpo), Piero Poldi (Un Pilota)
RAI Chorus & Orchestra Turin,
Antonino Votto
Recorded 6-10 September 1952 Auditorium RAI Turin




I was planning to savour/save these Callas remastered recordings and listen to maybe 2 or 3 a week over the next couple of months.

On the other hand, I may just scoff them all down. Like a Clayton in a brewery, let's say.

[Clayton]

Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana
Maria Callas (Santuzza), Giuseppe di Stefano (Turiddu), Rolando Panerai (Alfio), Anna Maria Canali (Lola), Ebe Ticozzi (Lucia)
Orchestra and Chorus of La Scala Milan,
Tullio Serafin
Recorded 16-25 June & 3-4 August 1953 Basilica di Sant'Eufemia, Milan



Stunning. This recording has just elevated the opera 28 positions in the Clayton charts (recordings already owned Nello Santi with Leonie Rysanek, Plácido Domingo and Serafin with Giulietta Simionato, Mario Del Monaco)

[Clayton]

Verdi: La forza del destino
Maria Callas (Leonora), Richard Tucker (Don Alvaro), Carlo Tagliabue (Don Carlo), Plinio Clabassi (Il Marchese di Calatrava), Elena Nicolai (Preziosilla), Renato Capecchi (Fra Melitone), Rina Cavallari (Curra), Nicola Rossi-Lemeni (Padre Guardiano), Gino Del Signore (Mastro Trabuco), Dario Caselli (Un Chirurgo/Un Alcalde)
Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala Milan,
Tullio Serafin
Recorded 19-27 August 1954 Teatro alla Scala, Milan



Can we please have more recordings from all the archives remastered and released? I am sure the record companies have a whole treasure trove of recordings in their archives that we would want to hear once remastered. We know the technology and skill exist!

[Hoffmann]

Verdi: La forza del destino
Maria Callas (Leonora), Richard Tucker (Don Alvaro), Carlo Tagliabue (Don Carlo), Plinio Clabassi (Il Marchese di Calatrava), Elena Nicolai (Preziosilla), Renato Capecchi (Fra Melitone), Rina Cavallari (Curra), Nicola Rossi-Lemeni (Padre Guardiano), Gino Del Signore (Mastro Trabuco), Dario Caselli (Un Chirurgo/Un Alcalde)
Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala Milan,
Tullio Serafin
Recorded 19-27 August 1954 Teatro alla Scala, Milan



Can we please have more recordings from all the archives remastered and released? I am sure the record companies have a whole treasure trove of recordings in their archives that we would want to hear once remastered. We know the technology and skill exist!

I guess this means that you like the remastered Callas studio recordings? I am about ready to order it, but will wait until after I get my sound system up and running.

[Clayton]

I guess this means that you like the remastered Callas studio recordings? I am about ready to order it, but will wait until after I get my sound system up and running.

I have only listened to four of the operas so far but am very happy with the collection (no reason to think the remainder will not be to the same standard).

The sound is excellent; very clear, no noise and as far as I can hear nothing removed (I have not heard previous releases not remastered, so am in no way an expert here). They sound like recordings decades apart from their actual age. I have been listening in part with the Sennheisers and there is so much detail in the sound and the voices that it really is a marvel at how these recordings have been remastered. They have not been cleaned and made sterile, on the contrary I am very excited by the richness of the sound.

I have six of the recordings already (contradicting what I said earlier about having other releases; I will make a comparison later) but even then the value for money is very good. Twenty complete operas for GBP 10 each plus all the recital albums and a book as a bonus.

Yes, very happy.

[Clayton]

Verdi: Aida
Maria Callas (Aida), Richard Tucker (Radamès), Fedora Barbieri (Amneris), Tito Gobbi (Amonasro), Giuseppe Modesti (Ramfis)
Orchestra and Chorus of La Scala Milan,
Tullio Serafin
Recorded 10-24 August 1955, Teatro alla Scala, Milan



Aida just climbed 17 positions in the Clayton charts.

[Floria]

Yesterday I listened to Manon Lescaut with Domingo and Scotto.



Today, Manon Lescaut with Kaufmann and Opolais

[Clayton]

...Today, Manon Lescaut with Kaufmann and Opolais

more and more I am feeling I missed seeing this one...


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last one for today,

needed one more Verdi hit.

(I have recently suffered from a deprivation of opera)


Verdi: I Lombardi alla prima crociata
Cristina Deutekom (Giselda), Placido Domingo (Oronte), Ruggero Raimondi (Pagano), Jerome Lo Monaco (Arvino), Desdemona Malvisi (Viclinda), Stafford Dean (Pirro), Clifford Grant (Acciano), Montserrat Aparici (Sofia), Keith Erwen (Priore della città di Milano)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Ambrosian Singers,
Lamberto Gardelli
Recorded July 1971 Wembley Town Hall, London

[Floria]

[QUOTE=Clayton;42738]more and more I am feeling I missed seeing this one...


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I was lucky. A cinema in my area showed ML, this past summer. I thought it was excellent. Music, vocals, and chemistry between Kaufmann and Opolais.
There were 2 minor things I didn't care for, the guy with the camera that was suppose to be filming a porn movie, but he was only on stage a couple of minutes, and her 'pink outfit'. The skirt portion looked like a tutu that a 5 year old would wear to dancing school. I think they could have come up with something better than that. I didn't think it looked sexy or sleazy, just stupid.

I am sad since this movie/cinema chain is not showing any opera from Europe this year. The company that contracted with ROH did not contract for the 2014/2015 season. Maybe because they were bought by another company. But I am grateful I am near a theater that shows the MET.

10 more minutes to the end of Norma with Milanov, Jagel, Torrel. 1944

[Hoffmann]

Still busy with trying to get things in order. Today was my first outing with the community laundry. Not as traumatic as I thought, though the laundry room is a bit of a hike down the hallway. Then, off to errands - so, only now am getting around to opera: