What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Floria]

I have still been stuck in seventeenth century France but the time machine is nearly fixed so should be able to move on soon (well, that is the plan).

Maybe you can hitch a ride in the tardis.



Just watch out for these guys !

[Floria]

Verdi: Un ballo in maschera [1956]

Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala Milan, Antonino Votto

[Clayton]

Excited by the news that PC has shipped the new Vinci recording today, I was drawn to the Vinci in the to-listen-to pile

Vinci, Leonardo: La Partenope
Sonia Prina (Partenope), Maria Grazia Schiavo (Rosmira), Maria Ercolano (Arsace), Eufemia Tufano (Emilio), Stefano Ferrari (Armindo) & Charles do Santos (Ormonte)
I Turchini, Antonio Florio 2011
This is the world première of Leonardo Vinci’s opera La Partenope.



Thrilling. Exciting. Barock'n roll

I think I might have to "do a Florestan" and buy the DVD as well.

[Hoffmann]

Verdi: Un ballo in maschera [1956]

Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala Milan, Antonino Votto

It appears that great minds think alike! For my walk today (sunny, bright blue sky and a perfect 72F with 40% humidity):





Then, after I got home, this wonderful, new to me, recording of Rossini's Otello:






Features a strong cast of tenors headed up by Michael Spyres. Also features Jessica Pratt. Superb, very energetic live performance.

[Floria]

Then, after I got home, this wonderful, new to me, recording of Rossini's Otello:





Features a strong cast of tenors headed up by Michael Spyres. Also features Jessica Pratt. Superb, very energetic live performance.

I acquired this last night. I am listening to it now. Thanks for the great recommendation.

[Clayton]

Vinci, Leonardo: Catone in Utica
World premiere recording
Max Emanuel Cencic (Arbace), Franco Fagioli (Cesare), Valer Sabadus (Marzia), Martin Mitterutzner (Fulvio), Vince Yi (Emilia), Juan Sancho (Catone)
Il Pomo D'oro, Riccardo Minasi



Clayton will keep schtum 'till the libraries have been stocked but I do not think fans will be disappointed.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Vinci, Leonardo: Catone in Utica
World premiere recording
Max Emanuel Cencic (Arbace), Franco Fagioli (Cesare), Valer Sabadus (Marzia), Martin Mitterutzner (Fulvio), Vince Yi (Emilia), Juan Sancho (Catone)
Il Pomo D'oro, Riccardo Minasi



Clayton will keep schtum 'till the libraries have been stocked but I do not think fans will be disappointed.

OMG you are killing me. You know how I HATE delayed gratification.

That good?


EDIT: Woop di doo. Available to download for half the price. Yaaaas

[Florestan]

I think I might have to "do a Florestan" and buy the DVD as well.

It's an honor to have this action named after me. Thank you!

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Clayton needs to find a corner for this in his Baroque tea cabinet - superb ladies, with enough differentiation among them to keep things interesting. Lovely lively music.

Veracini: Adriano en Siria
Sonia Prina (Adriano), Ann Hallenberg (Farnaspe), Roberta Invernizzi (Emirena), Romino Basso (Sabina), Lucia Cirillo (Idalma), Ugo Guagliardo (Osroa)
Europa Galante, Fabio Biondi

[Clayton]

Clayton needs to find a corner for this in his Baroque tea cabinet...

Clayton needs to find another tea cabinet

[Clayton]

Three days of cricket and no opera... where do I go first?

It is Handel

and

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



This is my favourite interpretation (yes, that is for today), overtaking the Curtis. It is the cast and the character portrayal which is the romantic tale with a dramatic and comic touch. This is as opposed to the Curtis which is rather more dramatic and the Christie that is lighter (in drama and more comic) and the Minkowski and Jacobs which are both a little harder or rigid. The Orchestra of the Patras has the period instruments but I think it is also (and maybe more) the direction of George Petrou that brings about the warmth. Absolutely fabulous.

[MAuer]

Finally finished the first listening to the complete recording, and in general, enjoyed it very much. Michael Spyres (Arnold) is probably the strongest member of the cast, though I also like Judith Howarth's Mathilde very much. Andrew Foster-Williams is fine as Tell, though I suspect I'd probably prefer Gerald Finley on the Pappano DVD. (Never mind Milnes on the Italian language recording!) The only soloist whose singing I can't warm up to is that of Tara Stafford (Jemmy). Her soprano has a constant rapid vibrato that makes me think of some of the twittery chirping heard on some of those scratchy recordings from the early 20th century. But I'm certainly glad I purchased this recording.

[Clayton]

besides another run through the new Vinci recording...

Scarlatti, A: La Griselda
Dorothea Roschmann (Griselda), Lawrence Zazzo (Gualtiero), Veronica Cangemi (Costanza), Bernard Fink (Roberto), Silvia Tro Santafe (Ottone), Kobie van Rensburg (Corrado)
Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, René Jacobs 2002



great opera, great cast

[Hoffmann]

No album covers to show, but had a great lineup on Sirius Met Opera Radio while driving back to the DC metro area from a long holiday weekend on Cape Cod:

Das Rheingold (1993 broadcast w/James Morris, Hanna Schwartz, et al.; James Levine) Great way to start the day!

Don Giovanni (1978 broadcast w/James Morris, Gabriel Bacquier, Joan Sutherland, Julia Varady, et al.; Richard Bonynge)

Simon Boccanegra (1999 broadcast w/Karita Mattila, et al.; James Levine)

Die Aegyptische Helena (2007 broadcast w/Deborah Voigt, Torsten Kerl, Diana Damrau, Paul Grove, et al.; Fabio Luisi) I was close to home when this started, so only heard some 30 minutes or so - sounds like the opera deserves more attention.

[Clayton]

?

Is that something like 8 hours in the car?