What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Clayton]

Lully: Phaëton
Emiliano Gonzalez Toro (Phaéton), Ingrid Perruche (Clymène), Isabelle Druet (Théone, Astrée), Gaëlle Arquez (Libye), Andrew Foster-Williams (Épaphus), Frédéric Caton (Mérops, Automne, Jupiter), Benoît Arnould (Protée, Saturne), Cyril Auvity (Triton, le Soleil)
Les Talens Lyriques, Christophe Rousset

[Adrian]

Puccini : La Boheme.
Freni/ Pavarotti/ Ghiaurov.
Herbert von Karajan.
Decca Stereo set 565-8. (you guess right , on L.P)

[Clayton]

Cavalli: Artemisia
Francesca Lombardi Mazzulli (Artemisia), Roberta Mameli (Artemia), Valentina Coladonato (Oronta), Maarten Engeltjes (Meraspe), Andrea Arrivabene (Alindo), Marina Bartoli (Ramiro), Silvia Frigato (Eurillo), Salvo Vitale (Indamoro), Alberto Allegrezza (Erisbe) & Alessandro Giangrande (Niso)
La Venexiana, Claudio Cavina
Recorded in Mondovì (Sala Ghisleri), Italy, in October 2010



Such a stunningly beautiful opera. Beautiful songs from start to finish and in a perfect production here. This is my opera gold.

[Itullian]

Where's the Wagner around here?

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Where's the Wagner around here?

Well go-on, you tell us.

Or head over to the watching thread for JohnGerald raving about Guillaume Tell with JDF.

[Luiz Gazzola (Almaviva)]

Where's the Wagner around here?

Welcome back, Itullian!

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

In preparation for Falstaff in July.

[Hoffmann]

Ok, Wagner. During my walk yesterday:




I hadn't listened to this version probably since I bought it about a year ago - I tend to default to the Solti. The voices, however, are pretty spectacular: James King's Siegmund, Birgit Nilsson and even Theo Adam's Wotan sounds more 'bass-y' than I usual give him credit for.

I walked 8.1 miles but only got through Ride of the Valkyries. I had to finish listening at home. After weeks without walking, I'm having to rebuild my endurance, so saving the the 10+ mile route for Götterdämmerung in another week or so.

[Clayton]

Verdi: Otello
Plácido Domingo (Otello), Cheryl Studer (Desdemona), Sergei Leiferkus (Iago), Ramón Vargas (Cassio), Michael Schade (Rodrigo), Ildebrando D'Arcangelo (Lodovico), Giacomo Prestia (Montano), Denyce Graves (Emilia), Philippe Duminy (Un Araldo)
Orchestra & Chorus of Bastille Opera, Myung-Whun Chung



Younger brother of the oh so beautiful Kyung-Wha Chung, so much talent in the family (there is the cellist sister too). It is a spectacular cast, not least Sergei who is such an emotionally and dramatically rich character that really gives Domingo and Otello a strong match. Cheryl Studer is a very good Desdemona here, the only drawback being our memory of Kiri Te Kanawa.

[Hoffmann]

A lovely Rossini opera that doesn't get a whole lot of recognition, other than qualifying as an 'absolute masterpiece', and the young Renee Fleming of 20+ years ago (1993) :

[Adrian]

A lovely Rossini opera that doesn't get a whole lot of recognition, other than qualifying as an 'absolute masterpiece', and the young Renee Fleming of 20+ years ago (1993) :

It is Stunning with a capital S

[Hoffmann]

I'm pondering my walking route this afternoon, and am thinking that I better take advantage of the Rock Creek Trail, which apparently is going to be closed for two years for repairs. Ten miles door to door. Either Siegfried, Götterdämmerung or Guillaume Tell - something that will last the duration.

To help me ponder:





I hadn't listened to this before - it is part of a box set and kind of fell through the cracks. It is, however, a spirited recording that is thoroughly enjoyable. I usually think of Janet Baker as sort of a dour type, but she is a surprisingly good fit here.

[Florestan]

[Clayton]

Handel: Giulio Cesare in Egitto
Kristina Hammarström (Cesare), Emanuela Galli (Cleopatra), Mary-Ellen Nesi (Sesto), Irini Karaianni (Cornelia), Romina Basso (Tolomeo), Tassis Christoyannis (Achilla), Petros Magoulas (Curio), Nikos Spanatis (Nireno)
Orchestra of the Patras (period instruments), George Petrou
Recorded 24-30 July 2006, Patras Greece



Emanuela Galli's most beautiful portrayal of Cleopatra makes this a very good recording.

DGM's printed text for the opera is an original 1724 English translation as opposed to a revised English text, which whilst is very interesting for the GC fan who is familiar with the opera, might be a little difficult for those who are not. The good revised text does not dramatically alter the words and maintains poetry but makes it a little easier to read.

For example Da tempeste

In the original English translation (as in DGM booklet)

When tho' by Tempests toss'd at length,
The shatter'd Vessel gains the Port,
Their utmost Wishes then are crown'd:
so my sad Heart with grief oppress'd,
By glimmering Hope at last reliev'd,
No longer mourns, but strait revives.

In the Naïve recording with text revised by Charles Johnston

The boat that, battered by the tempest,
safely reaches the harbour,
Does not know what more to ask for.
And so a heart that dwelt in pains and weeping,
when at last it finds peace again,
gives itself over to rejoicing.

[JohnGerald]

Well go-on, you tell us.

Or head over to the watching thread for JohnGerald raving about Guillaume Tell with JDF.

Heck! I can rave about it here too! Equal opportunity raver, that's me!

Plus the disc is worth a rave or two!