What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Clayton]

Cavalli: Gli amori d'Apollo e di Dafne
Apollo: Anders Dahlin, Dafne: Rosa Dominguez, Aurora: Emanuela Galli, Cefalo: Stephan Van Dyck, Amore: Paola Quagliata, Filena: Maria Hinojosa Montenegro, Alfesibeo, Sonno: Furio Zanasi, Cirilla: Paulin Bündgen, Venere, Musa: Mariana Rewersky, Giove: Salvo Vitale, Pan, Morfeo: Valerio Contaldo, Procris, Musa: Marisu Pavon, Itaton, Musa: Mariana Flores, Titonio: David Hernandez, Peneo: Ismael Gonzalez
Coro de ninfe e pastori & Ensemble Elyma
Gabriel Garrido
Recorded Notre Dame de Malpas, France November 2007 & April 2008



Very beautiful and strong recommendation for Cavalli fans. Does not have sung text (points to a non-existant website) which is a little disappointing but has a scene by scene synopsis.

[Floria]

Zandonai: Franchesa Da Rimini

Eva-Maria Westbrok, Marcello Giordani, Mark Delavan, Robert Brubaker

[Hoffmann]

I just got this. I have seen the opera staged a couple of times but, aside from "au fond du temple saint", and some melodrama, had little recollection about the opera, so decided to listen and give it another shot.

I can't say that there is much more there than I thought. Aside from the duet, the music doesn't seem particularly interesting. Meh.

[Adrian]

Verdi : Don Carlos.

This is vocally one of the best recording I've ever came across.
I do have one problem with it; the recording session.

I know Karajan like to be dramatic , but this is sometimes to much fortissimo.

I hope Warner can do something about the sound , a bit more "neutral"

[Floria]

Bizet: Carmen

Rise Stevens,Jan Peerce,Robert Merrill,Licia Albanese
Fritz Reiner conductor RCA

[Clayton]

Saucy! Now that's a record cover I would definitely put in the favourite covers thread.

The opera that I've been listening to has a cover that is a bit wet...

Wagner: Der fliegende Holländer (Original Paris version 1841)
Evgeny Nikitin (Der Holländer), Ingela Brimberg (Senta), Eric Cutler (Georg), Mika Kares (Donald), Bernard Richter (Der Steuermann), Helene Schneiderman (Mary)



I'm not very familiar with this opera so I can not talk about the differences with the final version or the merits of this particular recording compared to others, However I do like this a lot, the music is beautiful telling the story very well, the sound excellent and the cast singing the parts very convincingly. Yes, I like it. I'm looking forward to listening to Le Vaisseau Fantôme by Dietsch, sistered in this recording project.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Amadigi di Gaula is definitely an underrated and underplayed opera; it has some fabulous arias. Just a pity that the sopranos on this recording are not topnotch, but it's worth is for Stutzmann.



Nathalie Stutzmann (Amadigi), Jennifer Smith (Oriana), Eiddwen Harrhy (Melissa), Bernarda Fink (Dardano) & Pascal Bertin (Orgando). Les Musiciens du Louvre, Marc Minkowski

I have to say that when I see the covers from this label, I am convinced the marketing team was having Battenberg cake for tea when they chose the design.

[Hoffmann]

Amadigi di Gaula is definitely an underrated and underplayed opera; it has some fabulous arias. Just a pity that the sopranos on this recording are not topnotch, but it's worth is for Stutzmann.



Nathalie Stutzmann (Amadigi), Jennifer Smith (Oriana), Eiddwen Harrhy (Melissa), Bernarda Fink (Dardano) & Pascal Bertin (Orgando). Les Musiciens du Louvre, Marc Minkowski

I have to say that when I see the covers from this label, I am convinced the marketing team was having Battenberg cake for tea when they chose the design.

One can only hope it wasn't over-lavendered.

[Floria]

Cilea: Adriana Lecouvreur 1959

Magda Olivero, Franco Corelli, Ettore Bastianini, Giulietta Simionato, Antonio Cassinelli, Mariano Caruso, Augusto Frati, Renato Ercolani, Rosanna Zerbini, Anna Di Stasio
Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro di San Carlo Napoli, Mario Rossi conducting.



Good recording..

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Handel: Ariodante. Joyce DiDonato (Ariodante), Karina Gauvin (Ginevra), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Polinesso), Sabina Puértolas (Dalinda), Topi Lehtipuu (Lurcanio), Matthew Brook (King of Scotland), Anicio Zorzi Giustiniani (Odoardo). Il Complesso Barocco, Alan Curtis.



Particularly enjoyed Marie-Nicole Lemieux's Polinesso, He's such a horrible slimy character.

[Hoffmann]

I had a weak moment this afternoon. I was readying for my walk - this afternoon, the long way to the Drs. office, and needed a good listen. My standby iPod Nano was without a charge, so I reached for one of the fallbacks. While thumbing through the iPod library, I suddenly realized I had neither listened to this opera in a couple of months, and probably the last listen was not this one, which, as you know, is one of my all time favorites:

[Clayton]

Cilea: Adriana Lecouvreur 1959

Magda Olivero, Franco Corelli, Ettore Bastianini, Giulietta Simionato, Antonio Cassinelli, Mariano Caruso, Augusto Frati, Renato Ercolani, Rosanna Zerbini, Anna Di Stasio
Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro di San Carlo Napoli, Mario Rossi conducting.



Good recording..

Superb recording and one that I was going to recommend to Hoffmann

[Soave_Fanciulla]

This is so utterly gorgeous. Valer Sabadus is a top singer with an ethereal voice. Lovely selection of arias. Cannot recommend too highly.

Gluck: Le belle Immagini

[Clayton]

This is so utterly gorgeous. Valer Sabadus is a top singer with an ethereal voice. Lovely selection of arias. Cannot recommend too highly.

Gluck: Le belle Immagini

Okay, I'm sold (coming from someone who has only bought one solo disc in the last year)

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Okay, I'm sold (coming from someone who has only bought one solo disc in the last year)

I'm sure you'll love it.