What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Clayton]

...Music to iron and cook to...

Trying to get through a pile of unlistened-to recitals as I do the tax return...

Oh dear, all these interruptions to opera time!

Need to get the little ones trained quicker.

Valer Sabadus: Hasse reloaded.

Cool barock'n roll title

[Clayton]

Whilst I am very much enjoying the monthly MET on Demand monthly subscription service, I do suffer from the streaming sound quality.

I do not think this is due to the MET service but I put it down to my interweb connection. Most of my friends and family use a 100mb or some a 1gb connection service but I, being out in the sticks, have to be content with a service that averages at about 11mb with often a very unstable signal.

The result of which (I cannot actually attribute this) is I get significant noise, which is like feedback giving a sort of tape whirp noise. Furthermore, when I pause the music, the subtitles lose the timing so I need to re-establish connection before I can start playback again. This problem I do not know whether it is due to the interweb connection but is annoying nonetheless.

I can lose the noise by playing the music through the speakers and not listening through the headphones (okay, so I exaggerate a little about the amount of noise) but I am left with a little feeling that I am purchasing an inferior product through the streaming than buying the dvd (through no fault of the MET streaming service, just the problem I have with internet connectivity).

Though for USD 14.99 per month for access to the library, it is an excellent product.

So that leads me to my recent listening, which IS related

I wanted to listen to some more Wagner but with a GREAT sound quality

so I came here

Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
José van Dam (Hans Sachs), Ben Heppner (Walther von Stolzing), Karita Mattila (Eva), Alan Opie (Beckmesser), Iris Vermillion (Magdalena), Herbert Lippert (David), René Pape (Pogner), Albert Dohmen (Kothner), Kelly Anderson (Nachtwächter)
Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Georg Solti 1995

[Nekrotzar]

Over and over, with some Britten and Carter every now and then, but this opera in particular since I purchased it recently with an itunes gift voucher someone gave me for my birthday



I am soooo happy it's finally been released on CD and on itunes! I have been waiting for five years for its release since I first saw it.

[Florestan]

Just arrived. Wonderful. I don't know why I waited so long to get this given I was buying all kinds of operas with Mariella Devia.

[Nekrotzar]

I know the play very well, the opera less so, but it's very good. I wouldn't rate this as highly as some of the 20th century classics like Le Grand Macabre or Wozzeck, but it's a good opera nevertheless.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Over and over, with some Britten and Carter every now and then, but this opera in particular since I purchased it recently with an itunes gift voucher someone gave me for my birthday



I am soooo happy it's finally been released on CD and on itunes! I have been waiting for five years for its release since I first saw it.

Haha! I saw it was going to be released and thought of you and your enthusiasm for it.

- - - Updated - - -

I know the play very well, the opera less so, but it's very good. I wouldn't rate this as highly as some of the 20th century classics like Le Grand Macabre or Wozzeck, but it's a good opera nevertheless.

I have to be honest and say I found it rather dull musically when I watched the DVD of this production

[Nekrotzar]

Haha! I saw it was going to be released and thought of you and your enthusiasm for it.

It was the most excited I've been about any opera since I saw my first live opera several years ago! I had Bliss playing full blast throughout the house until the pleas for me to turn it off grew louder than the music itself....

I have to be honest and say I found it rather dull musically when I watched the DVD of this production

The music itself doesn't really seem to have many really interesting or memorable things in it, but it seems to fit the eerily tragic nature of the story really well. I hate to use this word, but it is...atmospheric and suits the story well as a background element rather than providing showstopping arias and clever ensemble writing.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

The music itself doesn't really seem to have many really interesting or memorable things in it, but it seems to fit the eerily tragic nature of the story really well. I hate to use this word, but it is...atmospheric and suits the story well as a background element rather than providing showstopping arias and clever ensemble writing.

Yes, fair point. What I really thought was that I'd never just listen to this for the music.

[Nekrotzar]

Hearing this opera for the first time to see how I enjoy the music, I will have to check out a performance on YouTube to find out more though.



Of course, the overture is very familiar to me...so I am a little surprised I only get to hear the second half of it! Anyhow, I like Pappano's conducting so I am hoping for some brilliant music in the next few hours.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Hearing this opera for the first time to see how I enjoy the music, I will have to check out a performance on YouTube to find out more though.



Of course, the overture is very familiar to me...so I am a little surprised I only get to hear the second half of it! Anyhow, I like Pappano's conducting so I am hoping for some brilliant music in the next few hours.

Two recent performances worth a look





Part 2 of the Pesaro. (Mariotti does a fantastic job with the orchestra in this production)

[Adrian]

I know the play very well, the opera less so, but it's very good. I wouldn't rate this as highly as some of the 20th century classics like Le Grand Macabre or Wozzeck, but it's a good opera nevertheless.

On the opposite of Natalie I would say, I rather watch it then just sit and listen.

[Florestan]

Quite remarkable singing, Leyla Gencer CLIPS

[Nekrotzar]

Also reading about this opera in my operas book by András Batta. Enjoying the music very much.

[Hoffmann]

I bought this several weeks ago, but hadn't yet listened to it. Very disappointing. Generally well-sung, but the tempos are very slow compared with the other versions I have, turning an otherwise wonderful opera into something unrecognizably dreary. Meh.

[Clayton]

after a complete thrashing, the cricket finished early and I am back to the world of opera (until the next match on Thursday) and suffering withdrawel symptoms I go to the CCBO* number one smash hit

Terradellas: Artaserse
Anna Maria Panzarella (Artaserse), Céline Ricci (Arbace), Marina Comparato (Mandane), Sunhae Im (Semira), Augustin Prunell-Friend (Artabano) & Mariví Blasco (Megabise)
La Real Compañía Ópera de Cámara, Juan Bautista Otero
Palau de la Músic Catalana, Barcelona June 2008.



*The Clayton Charts of Baroque Opera