What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Luiz Gazzola (Almaviva)]

I know how that goes... I'm thinking I have to save some money so I can travel to see opera, but then that means not buying opera, and the equation seems out of balance. So, I buy some opera, then travel to see opera, then the equation goes wildly out of balance; so I stop traveling, I stop buying and the equation goes wildly out of balance... I must be doing something wrong.

Cease and desist, my friend. There is no saving money when you're a committed opera fan. Just be content in becoming poor but fulfilled with all the opera!

[Clayton]

Verdi: Macbeth
Sherrill Milnes (Macbeth), Fiorenza Cossotto (Lady Macbeth), Jose Carreras (Macduff), Ruggero Raimondi (Banco), Giuliano Bernardi (Malcolm), Maria Borgato (Dama), Carlo Del Bosco (Medico)
Ambrosian Opera Chorus & New Philharmonia Orchestra, Riccardo Muti
1976

[Hoffmann]

Cease and desist, my friend. There is no saving money when you're a committed opera fan. Just be content in becoming poor but fulfilled with all the opera!

You're right.

So, after contemplating your post, I took your advice to heart and went and bought a new recording of Armida (Rossini's)! I am listening to the one I have,






but had to have the one by Renee Fleming:

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

Verdi: Macbeth
Sherrill Milnes (Macbeth), Fiorenza Cossotto (Lady Macbeth), Jose Carreras (Macduff), Ruggero Raimondi (Banco), Giuliano Bernardi (Malcolm), Maria Borgato (Dama), Carlo Del Bosco (Medico)
Ambrosian Opera Chorus & New Philharmonia Orchestra, Riccardo Muti
1976

Fabulous recording

[Clayton]

Fabulous recording

Thank you Sospiro for good recommendation...

[Luiz Gazzola (Almaviva)]

You're right.

So, after contemplating your post, I took your advice to heart and went and bought a new recording of Armida (Rossini's)! I am listening to the one I have,






but had to have the one by Renee Fleming:

Now you are talking! As long as you are not starving two young daughters like someone I know, it's OK to buy as many recordings as you want!

[Hoffmann]

[Clayton]

Another good pointer from JohnGerald

courtesy of spotify

Donizetti: Il diluvio universale
Mirco Palazzi (Noe), Majella Cullagh (Sela), Manuela Custer (Ada), Colin Lee (Cadmo), Simon Bailey (Iafet), Mark Wilde (Sem), Dean Robinson (Cam), Irina Lungu (Tesbite), Ivana Dimitrijevic (Asfene), Anne-Marie Gibbons (Abra), Roland Wood (Artoo)
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir & London Philharmonic Orchestra, Giuliano Carella



Unfortunately world stocks sold out but I might have to buy download to get PDF libretto (that's a GBP 15 libretto but I did like it).

[Clayton]

Cavalli: L’Ormindo
Opera in a Prologue and Three Acts. world première recording of the original version from 1644
Sandrine Piau, Magali Léger, Stéphanie Révidat (sopranos), Karine Deshayes (mezzo-soprano), Martin Oro, Dominique Visse (countertenors), Howard Crook, Jean-François Lombard (tenors), Jacques Bona, Benoît Arnould (baritones)
Ensemble Les Paladins, Jérôme Correas (harpsichord & direction)



A rom-com straight out of the school of Monteverdi and madrigals. I am not sure if the wee welease comes with a libretto which is a pity if it doesn't but still worth it for Cavalli fans. Otherwise let's hope ROH are making a DVD of their production (today?)

[Clayton]

Courtesy of Spotify (I'm starting to think subscribing to unlimited opera streaming service was not such a healthy idea)

Gluck: Orpheus und Eurydike
Hilde Rössel-Majdan (Orpheus), Sena Jurinac (Eurydice), Emmy Loose (Amor) & Heinz Wöster (Speaker)
Chorus of Vienna State Opera & Vienna Radio
Michael Gielen
December 1953



Another very good recording, this time sung in German by contralto Hilde Rössel-Majdan. A little tape farting (clayton technical term for whirp-whirp noise from tape) that is not as annoying as the narrative between scenes but I still give it a thumbs up.

[Clayton]

Mozart: Die Zauberflöte, K620
Rita Streich, Maria Stader, Ernst Haefliger, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau & Josef Greindl
RIAS-Kammerchor & RIAS Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Ferenc Fricsay
1955

[Clayton]

again, I talked myself here

do you think I talk to much?

I only ask because I can't hear myself through all the blah, blah, blah...

never mind. Where was I?

I lost myself



Oh yes

[Hoffmann]

A busy day today with my sister and brother in law in town for a brief stay on their way back to frozen Massachusetts after 3 weeks in Florida. Still managed to squeeze in:



Callas is wonderful in this, but can't say I'm crazy about the opera. Maybe requires another listen...

Then, sent family off to National Gallery of Art and then went for a walk for the first time in 3 days (I don't do below zero weather) and was on a Callas roll:




This might be the best rendition of this I've yet heard.

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

again, I talked myself here

do you think I talk to much?

I only ask because I can't hear myself through all the blah, blah, blah...

never mind. Where was I?

I lost myself

No!!

Keep talking; I'm listening!

[Adrian]

Verdi: Macbeth
Sherrill Milnes (Macbeth), Fiorenza Cossotto (Lady Macbeth), Jose Carreras (Macduff), Ruggero Raimondi (Banco), Giuliano Bernardi (Malcolm), Maria Borgato (Dama), Carlo Del Bosco (Medico)
Ambrosian Opera Chorus & New Philharmonia Orchestra, Riccardo Muti
1976

The best a men/ woman can get