Reply With QuoteRevisiting this now because in life only two things are certain: we're all gonna die and there is no such thing as too much Così.Originally Posted by Hoffmann
For today's walk, an old favorite:
Listening to this as I walked, I wondered how it might be that someone could listen to this and not come away as an opera lover. Beats me.
A reason for selecting Nabucco this morning is that an old friend, who has to go to Barcelona on some personal business, asked if I was interested in joining him. Not having been there since the two of us were students, well, a long time ago, I jumped at the chance.
As it turns out, Nabucco is on the schedule at the Gran Theatre del Liceu while we will be in town. He typically has no interest in 'serious' music (this is the friend who inflicted pop music on me in the car on the way back from Vermont a couple of weeks ago), but told me he would like to go to the Liceu with me (I told him that's great, but if he hates it, he can't leave until the interval). I'm not sure Nabucco is a great first opera, but then, why not?
Nabisco (I'm getting to really dislike auto-correct..) Nabucco also is relatively short and finished sometime before I was done walking. So, next up on my listening this morning:
Revisiting this now because in life only two things are certain: we're all gonna die and there is no such thing as too much Così.
Not a great day for a walk - 90% humidity and it hit 90 F (32 C) by 11:00 am. Yuck.
So, decided on an old favorite:
(a still zaftig not yet glam) Maria Callas with Giuseppe Di Stefano and Tito Gobbi; Tullio Serafin, Conductor (1953, Warner Classics Remaster)
However, again, this Lucia is not long enough to complete my walk, so my bel canto iPod had this to follow up:
with Dame Joan S. and Luciano Pavarotti; Richard Bonynge, Conductor (1966)
Okayyyyy I found time this afternoon to listen to an opera in full finally and for some reason I felt like giving La Traviata yet another chance
I've come to a conclusion that this is an opera I prefer to hear than to see. I'd just describe this as a nice collection of tunes. Nice, but not emotional.
If you would seek salvation, remember this:
a life in Hell can still aspire to BLISS.
I think Charpentier must be one of my favourite baroque composers by now.
If you would seek salvation, remember this:
a life in Hell can still aspire to BLISS.
I walked 10 miles and it only barely got me to the beginning of Act III:
Where is Clayton? I think he will like this.
Today was my second listen to this recording, and I like it a lot and recommend it:
Donizetti; Lucia di Lammermoor.
Sills/ Bergonzi/ Cappuccilli / Diaz.
I updated my old (and broken) iPhone earphones to a newer version. I can now hear this crazy stuff much clearer than before! Nice bass too. Does justice to the bass clarinet at times anyhow.
If you would seek salvation, remember this:
a life in Hell can still aspire to BLISS.
Brutal day for a walk. The worst conditions all summer, I'm sure. I made it home, but just barely.
One of my two favorite Rossini operas (together with Semiramide) - yes, even over his far more famous comedies.
This is a wonderful recording with a terrific Katia Ricciarelli.
I knew Pollini was a piano virtuoso, but wasn't aware of him as an opera conductor.
Oh well . . . it worked for Barenboim.
"Music is enought for a whole lifetime--but a lifetime is not enough for music." --Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff
Yesterday's walking music was inspired by this week's voting:
and today's listening was an opera I like but hadn't listened to in a while, but has some lovely singing:
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