What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Amfortas]

On a similar note, I think it's worth considering/critiquing the way the classical music industry (like the music industry in general) continually remasters, repackages, and recycles its catalog. But this practice applies to pretty much the entire repertoire, not just one singer.

[Adrian]

There are always singers who leave some people cold, while having many other devotees. I think it is important to realise that this is a matter of taste, and that we should respect others' tastes however bewildering we find them. This is the way this forum has operated in the past and I would like it to continue this way.

It is, was and still is never my intention to hurt anyone.
So sorry if I did upset anyone.
Just a my humble opinion , nothing more.

[Adrian]

On a similar note, I think it's worth considering/critiquing the way the classical music industry (like the music industry in general) continually remasters, repackages, and recycles its catalog. But this practice applies to pretty much the entire repertoire, not just one singer.

That is precisely what I mean.
I, as a older member (in living years ) paid a lot of money for the first Cd's and it hurts me to see that re mastering is sold for almost half the original price these days .
And Indeed witch ever artist it is.

[Clayton]

After all this years I still don't get the hysteria about Callas, she leaves me completely cold.
Are people conned all those years after yet another re mastering?

That is precisely what I mean.
I, as a older member (in living years ) paid a lot of money for the first Cd's and it hurts me to see that re mastering is sold for almost half the original price these days .
And Indeed witch ever artist it is.

I don't think I qualify as a Callas fan. I will place myself more in the opera in general fan category. This is my first Callas set I have purchased and I am very happy with the quality of the product. Out of the 26 complete operas, there are 20 that I did not have recordings of and was interested in listening to so that worked out at a great price (almost the cheapest of all my opera records) plus a bonus of 13 recital discs and a book. The recordings I have listened to so far are of fantastic quality, far superior to some of the recordings I have and a stunning experience to listen to.

That said, I can stand back and understand the difficulty from some opera fans point of view with the four (or there abouts) sets being released in recent history. Even some die hard Callas fan (one springs to mind), happy having purchased ALL of them, are disposing of the older ones selling them as used.

It is understandable that the record firms are producing these sets for Callas though; there are many fans, many recordings and they are all packaged together as they are traded together as assets.

What I can hope for is that as the fans demand more and competition amongst the firms to capitalize on the remaining catalogues increase, the practise of remastering can spread to other artists and records.

There's gotta be a thread there... which recordings would you like to see remastered and released?

[Amfortas]

That is precisely what I mean.
I, as a older member (in living years ) paid a lot of money for the first Cd's and it hurts me to see that re mastering is sold for almost half the original price these days .
And Indeed witch ever artist it is.

It must be frustrating to pay an arm and a leg, only to see the same recording later made available, sometimes in improved sound, at a reduced price.

In the long run, though, it's probably a benefit to have quality recordings available at modest cost, as a way to make classical music even more accessible to a larger audience.

[Clayton]

Mussorgsky: Boris Godunov
edited by Rimsky-Korsakov
Nicolai Ghiaurov (Boris), Olivera Miljakovic (Fyodor), Aleksei Maslennikov (Shuisky/Simpleton), Martti Talvela (Pimen), Ludovic Spiess (Grigory/False Dmitry), Anton Diakov (Varlaam), Nadejda Dobrianova (Xenia), Milen Paunov (Missail), Galina Vishnevskaya (Marina), Zoltan Kélémén (Rangoni), Margarita Lilowa (Hostess)
Wiener Sängerknaben, Sofia Radio Chorus, Wiener Staatsopernchor & Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
Recorded: Sofiensaal, Vienna, 11/1970

[Clayton]

Handel: Alessandro, HWV21
Max Emanuel Cencic (Alessandro), Karina Gauvin (Lisaura), Julia Lezhneva (Roxana), Xavier Sabata (Tassile), Juan Sancho (Leonato)
Armonia Atenea
George Petrou
Recorded September 2011, The Athens Concert Hall

[Floria]

I am finishing up the week with another Manon Lescaut.
Puccini "Manon Lescaut"
Renata Tebaldi
Mario Del Monaco
Mario Borriello
Fernando Corena

[Clayton]

I am finishing up the week with another Manon Lescaut...

And the winner is...

Or is that like picking a favourite child?

[Floria]

And the winner is...

Or is that like picking a favourite child?

I am currently listening to one more.
Kiri Te Kanawa, Jose Carreras


Back later with the winner, and yes it is liking picking a favorite child !

[Floria]

And the winner is...

Or is that like picking a favourite child?

Callas/Di Stefano



A very close second is:
Kaufmann/Opolais


It was a difficult choice since I really liked all of them.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Felling Baroque these days.

Handel is a genius, he is endlessly inventive.



Cavalli and his librettist combine the buffo with the noble and sad in a seamless way.



If anybody ever asks you what coloratura is just point them to Franco Fagioli on this recording. Virtuosic is an understatement.

[Clayton]

Hello listening thread

Where have you been? Have you been seeing other media?... You have, haven’t you?

Err... I didn’t know we had an exclusive relationship

I knew it! You operaphiles, you’re all the same. Sooner or later you all end up turning to newer media, discarding the older, like cheap plastic.

It’s not like that. It wasn’t serious. It was just a temporary contract.

Which was it, Blu-ray, streaming, download? Tell me; do you love it?...

(yup)

I mean is it better opera? Opera is not about just watching

(yes but it helps)
Oh enough of this! I’m not going to carry on with this imaginary conversation with a thread. I’ll be in the watching thread until this insanity stops.

[Exit Clayton]

[Luiz Gazzola (Almaviva)]

Hello listening thread

Where have you been? Have you been seeing other media?... You have, haven’t you?

Err... I didn’t know we had an exclusive relationship

I knew it! You operaphiles, you’re all the same. Sooner or later you all end up turning to newer media, discarding the older, like cheap plastic.

It’s not like that. It wasn’t serious. It was just a temporary contract.

Which was it, Blu-ray, streaming, download? Tell me; do you love it?...

(yup)

I mean is it better opera? Opera is not about just watching

(yes but it helps)
Oh enough of this! I’m not going to carry on with this imaginary conversation with a thread. I’ll be in the watching thread until this insanity stops.

[Exit Clayton]

Now, see? That's what happens when you all reject my medications and you say you all love the voices Clayton hears in his head. That should teach you not to encourage this kind of thing. The man is dangerous and I'm getting a court order to medicate him by force.

[Clayton]

Now, see? That's what happens when you all reject my medications and you say you all love the voices Clayton hears in his head. That should teach you not to encourage this kind of thing. The man is dangerous and I'm getting a court order to medicate him by force.

Please make sure there are enough drugs for all of us

I don't know, let's say there are about seventeen.