What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Hoffmann]

Unfortunately, I tend to slide into old bad eating habits while on 'vacation', so managed to not walk and gain nearly 10 lbs while on Cape Cod. Jeez.

Anyway, now that I'm home, I am trying to regain my walking stamina which seems to have declined substantially while I wallowed in fried clams and lobster (two of my favorite things outside of opera). Today's selection:






Then, later:





This is a much livelier recording than the Naxos. I especially like Samuel Ramey in this. He is one bass that isn't even remotely intimidated by coloratura - he's thrilling to listen to. Cheryl Studer and Jennifer Larmore are very good, but not (as you might imagine) in the same league as Sutherland and Horne on Decca, although it suffers from only so-so male voices.

[Nekrotzar]

That is a great opera and a great recording; I like all the cast in that production especially Hellekant's Cornelia. Very beautiful.

Have you heard the Curtis and the Petrou recordings? I like them both equally as this one and can recommend them if you are interested in hearing different productions.

I haven't heard all of the Curtis, but it's the other one I know which I also enjoy immensely. I haven't heard Petrou....thanks for making me aware of that one.

[Florestan]

Just received in today's mail:

[Clayton]

I haven't heard all of the Curtis, but it's the other one I know which I also enjoy immensely. I haven't heard Petrou....thanks for making me aware of that one.

The most beautiful Cleopatra of them all...

(from a little biased Emanuela Galli number one fan http://operalively.com/forums/showth...ll=1#post43198)

[Nekrotzar]

The most beautiful Cleopatra of them all...

(from a little biased Emanuela Galli number one fan http://operalively.com/forums/showth...ll=1#post43198)

Wonderful post, I love a good baroque specialist soprano

[Nekrotzar]

Okay, now this is even better than the Minkowski. That is saying something!

Best Giulio Cesare ever.

[Clayton]

...

Okay, now this is even better than the Minkowski. That is saying something!

Best Giulio Cesare ever.

A good all round cast and yes, I agree with you there, it might just edge it over the others...

This recording also has excellent sound quality

[Clayton]

Lully: Psyché
Carolyn Sampson, Karina Gauvin, Aaron Sheehan, Colin Balzer, Amanda Forsythe, Mireille Lebel, Yulia Van Doren, Olivier Laquerre, Jason McStoots, Matthew Shaw, Aaron Engebreth, Ricard Bordas, Teresa Wakim & José Lemos
Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra & Chorus, Paul O’Dette & Stephen Stubbs
2007



I'll say again, any fan of Lully must have this recording; a beautiful opera brilliantly performed.

[Clayton]

The cricket starts again tomorrow which means (up to) five days of reduced opera listening

panic sets in and I reach for the...

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
2012



Some of the most beautiful melodies that come from the early French baroque operas and the most beautiful voices in this stunning recording (another must have)

[Luiz Gazzola (Almaviva)]

Okay, now this is even better than the Minkowski. That is saying something!

Best Giulio Cesare ever.

Nice to see you back to Opera Lively, ComposerOfAvantGarde

[Nekrotzar]

Nice to see you back to Opera Lively, ComposerOfAvantGarde

And it's nice to be back.

I find that I seem to go through periods of time when opera isnt my main focus, but as an aspiring composer I gotta know a huge range of music! Opera is always a passion for me though.

And at the moment, Handel!

[Nekrotzar]

Continuing my Handel discoveries, here's the Alcina that I'm listening to on Spotify.



I summon Clayton for an opinion.

[Clayton]

I commend ComposerOfAvantGarde of his good choice on opera listening!

Actually I have not explored much of this opera beyond this recording, only the Christie recording which is a live recording from the Palais Garnier and though has a superb cast that includes Renée Fleming (Alcina), Susan Graham (Ruggiero), Natalie Dessay (Morgana), suffers from a distinctively live recording sound quality.

From the two, I perfer the Curtis for the studio sound, Maite Beaumont's character and Kobie Van Rensburgs' Oronte. Christie and Les Arts Florissants does give a more fantastical interpretation and I prefer Fleming's Alcina but the sound quality lets this recording down.

I have not heard yet any of La Stupenda's accounts (the role that I believe earned her that name) yet but maybe our Dutch friend Adrian can let us know more about those...

[Clayton]

Cricket really does strange things with the brain

I was planning to to stay in eighteenth century France but instead landed somewhere completely different

Wagner: Die Meistersinger Von Nürnberg
Ferdinand Frantz - Hans Sachs
Gottlob Frick - Veit Pogner
Benno Kushce - Sixtus Beckmesser
Elisabeth Grümmer - Eva
Marga Höffgen - Magdalene
Rudolph Schock - Walther Von Stolzing
Gerhard Unger - David
Hermann Prey - Ein Nachtwächter

Choirs of the Municipal Opera and German State Opera, Berlin
(chorus master: Hermann Lüddecke)
Choir of St. Hedwin's Cathedral, Berlin
(chorus-master: Karl Forster)
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Kempe
Studio recording from 1956
XR remastering by Andrew Rose at Pristine Audio, August-October 2010

[Hoffmann]

I went with Wagner, myself, for this morning's walk:






The opening chords of Das Rheingold never fail to give me chills. Then, George London's Wotan weighs in. Love, love George London!