What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Clayton]

...Actually, an enjoyable version of this wonderful beginning to the Ring. Doesn't seem as profound without George London, but much better than my initial listen.

"atmosphere"
At first I thought I liked the stage noise, thinking it helped create picture in my tiny head but more recently I think it is the interaction of the performers (including stage and orchestra) that add an extra element to the music that is what I like.

I suddenly feel ready to do part two (day two) of Bohm/Solti comparison...




(though of course we all know my plans are always for one reason or another poo-pooed the next day...)

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

I think this one can be called complete, with wolf's crag scene and glass harmonica (not even Donizetti got that experience).

If you have access to spotify, you can test drive there but you know you really want it... don't you?

Carlo Bergonzi...

Piero Cappuccilli...

Go on...

You know it makes sense

Aaaarrrgghh ..........

Oh OK then

[Hoffmann]

I hadn't listened to this in a while, and it is quite wonderful throughout. I had forgotten that JDF doesn't make his appearance for quite a while, and the bass/baritone and male voices do a nice job of carrying the first 30 or so minutes on their own.

[Adrian]

Douglas Moore:

The Ballad of Baby Doe

Operas by Douglas Moore
Giants in the Earth (1951) (1956) Gallantry (1958) Carry Nation (1966)
v t e

The Ballad of Baby Doe is an opera by the American composer Douglas Moore that uses an English-language libretto by John Latouche. It is Moore's most famous opera and one of the few American operas to be in the standard repertory. Especially famous are the title heroine's five arias: "Letter Aria," "Willow Song," "I Knew it Was Wrong", "Gold is a Fine Thing", and "Always Through the Changing." Horace Tabor's "Warm as the Autumn Light" is also frequently heard. Distinguished sopranos who have portrayed Baby Doe include Beverly Sills (Moore's favorite interpreter of the role), Karan Armstrong, Faith Esham, and Elizabeth Futral.
Act I

Scene 1
The story begins by commenting on the riches of the Matchless Mine and on how Horace Tabor owns the whole town of Leadville, Colorado. Horace sings "It's a Bang Up Job" to the townspeople, praising his new opera house and sharing his disenchantment with his wife Augusta. During intermission at a performance at the opera house, Augusta chides Horace for not acting in accordance to his station in life. Horace pleads with her not to insult the common people, equating the prostitutes' and bar girls' work to the work her committee did in helping build the opera house. Near the end of intermission, a woman arrives, introduces herself to Horace and asks if he could direct her to her hotel. He obliges her, and returns to the opera with Augusta.
Scene 2
Augusta retires for the evening, while Horace steps outside to smoke a cigar. He overhears two women speaking about the woman and learns that her name is Baby Doe, and that she has a husband in Central City. Horace hears Baby singing "The Willow Song" and applauds her—much to her surprise since she did not know he was listening. He sings "Warm as the Autumn Light" to her. Augusta's comments from upstairs stop the scene.
Scene 3
Several months later, Augusta goes through Horace's study and finds gloves and a love letter. She thinks they are for her until she finally realizes that they are for Baby Doe. The rumors have been true. Horace comes in, they fight and Horace says he never meant to hurt her.
Scene 4
Baby Doe, at the hotel, realizes she must end her relationship with Horace and tells the hotel workers to find out when the next train leaves for Denver. The hotel workers go to find Horace so he can head her off. She sings of her love for Horace in a letter to her mother (the "Letter Aria"). Augusta comes in and tells Baby to leave. She agrees, but pleads that she and Horace have done nothing they should be ashamed of ("I Knew It Was Wrong"). When Augusta leaves, Baby decides against leaving at the same time Horace comes in. They sing of their love.
Scene 5
A year later, Tabor has left Augusta and is living with Baby Doe. Her friends inform Augusta, now living in Denver, that Horace plans to divorce her. She swears to ruin him.
Scene 6
Horace and Baby Doe's wedding party in Washington DC. Baby's mother praises the couple's riches, but the society wives deride Baby Doe, but when the couple comes in they are well received. The debate turns to the silver standard and Baby Doe sings "Gold is a Fine Thing". Horace then presents Baby with Queen Isabella's diamond necklace. Baby Doe's mother tells the Roman Catholic priest about Baby and Horace's divorces—which he didn't know of. Scandal rocks the party, but is stopped when President of the United States Chester Arthur comes in and toasts the couple.
Act II

Act II chronicles the disintegration of Baby and Horace's riches. Augusta warns of the gold standard, but Horace doesn't listen. Horace politically backs William Jennings Bryan for president. When Bryan loses, Horace is abandoned by his party.
In the final scenes, Horace asks to see the opera house he built so long ago, though he no longer owns it. On the stage, he hallucinates and sees people from his past. Augusta both taunts and pleads with him. He is told that his one daughter will decry the name Tabor and that his other will become a prostitute. Distraught, he collapses. Baby Doe enters. After he is convinced that she is not a hallucination, he tells her nothing will come between them and begs her to remember him. He dies in her arms. In the last scene that takes place 30 years later, at the Matchless Mine, she finishes the opera with "Always Through the Changing."



I love this recording, the notes in the synopsis are so pleasant to read .
Sills didn't want to do audition so she refused at first.
She taught she was to tall for the role.
At last she did and Moor said: You are Baby Doe.

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

I hadn't listened to this in a while, and it is quite wonderful throughout. I had forgotten that JDF doesn't make his appearance for quite a while, and the bass/baritone and male voices do a nice job of carrying the first 30 or so minutes on their own.

Suddenly I'm very interested!!

[Clayton]

(though of course we all know my plans are always for one reason or another poo-pooed the next day...)

So the plans did get flushed away in the gutter with all the other...

Did I ever mention I did work as a planner? I will be the first to say I was pretty awful at my job...

thank god he retired early they say... thank god he retired early they say... thank god he retired early they say... thank god he retired early


Bellini: Beatrice di Tenda
Edita Gruberova (Beatrice), Vesselina Kasarova (Agnese), Igor Morosow (Filippo Maria Visconti), Don Bernardini (Orombello), Branko Robinšak (Anichino), Daniel Sumegi (Rizzardo)
Wiener Jeunesse-Chor, Orf-Symphonieorchester
Pinchas Steinberg
Live recording 30 January/1 February 1992, Wiener Konzerthaus



This is my favourite interpretation, over La Stupenda and Aliberti but not just because of Edita (childish tee hee hee, chortle chortle) but all round...

[Albert7]

On TinyChat tonight spy featured this for us:

[Clayton]

Handel: Lotario, HWV 26
Sara Mingardo (Lotario), Simone Kermes (Adelaide), Steve Davislim (Berengario), Hilary Summers (Idelberto), Sonia Prina (Matilda), Vito Priante (Clodomiro)
Il Complesso Barocco, Alan Curtis
Recorded June 2004, Chiesa dell'Annunziata, Ravello, Salerno

[Hoffmann]

[Albert7]

On TinyChat tonight, trazom features this:

[Floria]

Giordano: Fedora

Antonietta Stella, Aldo Bottion, Giulio Fioravanti, Giuliana Tavolaccini, Paolo Mazzotta, Giovanni Amodeo,Alfredo Colella

This is an mp3 from utube. My version has been cleaned up and sounds much better.

[Clayton]

Yes I opened my account this morning with this, with this post and Albert7 also making a post of a recording with Anthony Rolfe Johnson, I took it as a sign from the opera Gods.

It's an opera with beautiful melodies and arias and a superb cast. It's one of my favourite Vivaldi operas.

[Clayton]

This one is also very good. Again beautifully performed by a very good cast and directed (and musically given some first aid) by Alessandro De Marchi. The plot is no more whackier than other Vivaldi or others of that period but for those who normally break out the coloured crayons to try and figure out the plot (=Clayton) no need, there is a diagram in this booklet! (Why just this one I wonder?)

Vivaldi: Orlando finto pazzo, RV727
Antonio Abete, Gemma Bertagnolli, Marina Comparato, Sonia Prina, Martin Oro, Marianna Pizzolato
Coro del Teatro Regio di Torino, Academia Montis Regalis, Alessandro de Marchi
Recorded December 2003, Istituto di Musica Antica Academia Montis Regalis, Mondovi, Italy

[Hoffmann]

I neglected to report yesterday's listening, where I decided I needed a change of route and scenery, and totally miscalculated the distance of the new route. It worked out ok, however, as the longer route provided enough time to listen to this - door to door:





Then, today, coming to my senses (after yesterday's 10.6 miles), I had just enough time to listen to this, much shorter - and much punchier - classic:




This is a wonderful recording, as it provides Callas with plenty of opportunity to showcase the role of Elvira, and demonstrate how well written the role is. I do still favor the classic Sutherland/Pavarotti/Ghiaurov/Cappuccilli recording, but that's because the guys are so good.

[Floria]

I neglected to report yesterday's listening, where I decided I needed a change of route and scenery, and totally miscalculated the distance of the new route. It worked out ok, however, as the longer route provided enough time to listen to this - door to door:



Then, today, coming to my senses (after yesterday's 10.6 miles), I had just enough time to listen to this, much shorter - and much punchier - classic:




This is a wonderful recording, as it provides Callas with plenty of opportunity to showcase the role of Elvira, and demonstrate how well written the role is. I do still favor the classic Sutherland/Pavarotti/Ghiaurov/Cappuccilli recording, but that's because the guys are so good.

I love the Callas version.