What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Luiz Gazzola (Almaviva)]

Hmm. I am intrigued that he who might be considered the most prominent member of the cast .. receives no mention. What's up with that?

Who? All five principal singers got quoted by Mary, no?

[Clayton]

Recently I have been listening to much Lully but perhaps a little more than most,

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

[Florestan]

1953:

[Florestan]

Live 1964 (love that cover image)

[Florestan]

[Florestan]

[Povero Buoso]

If you keep watching and listening to all those Tosca's the Fidelios will start feeling rejected! Although the Nilsson/Fischer-Dieskau/Corelli version does look like it could be very good.

[Florestan]

If you keep watching and listening to all those Tosca's the Fidelios will start feeling rejected! Although the Nilsson/Fischer-Dieskau/Corelli version does look like it could be very good.

I think I like Nilsson much better as Leonore. The Callas Toscas are supreme.

[Povero Buoso]

It's might be unpopular of me but while i love the expression Callas gives to the excerpts I've heard her singing her voice just doesn't seem to do much for me. So far all the notes are being hit there is just something I so far don't like .Saying that however, if I can find any excerpts of the Gobbi/Callas Tosca on YouTube I will give her a fair and just hearing as far as I can go.I find myself liking Gobbi a lot probably because of my current listening

The Il Tabbaro here I found works well. Gobbi's distinctive voice adds real character to Michele the Suor is good if the sound bad due to the age and I confess to having ignored the Schicchi over my favourite Nucci and Alanga recording.

[Povero Buoso]

Today while doing my Shopping I listened to possibly my favourite Opera and while I have heard many other Operas since it remains my favourite due to the sheer beauty of its music and inevitable tragic end of its plot.
I cant say much more about this recording other than I love it. The principals all sound great and I cant pinpoint any thing I dislike about it at all. It is my favourite version I've heard of my favourite Opera and whenever I may tire of the other opera's I have on my Ipod I will always come back to this one.

[Florestan]

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite Fidelio sets (of the 19 I own on CD). I have been listening in the car and at home on my earbud. And it is special/unique in that it is the only Fidelio I am aware of with a female conductor. Highly recommended. It has very good emotional dynamics in the spoken dialog.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Back to opera listening after a huge hiatus while I was travelling.



Top marks for Kenneth Tarver; Silvia Tro Santafé sounds a little like Agnes Baltsa but does not quite rise to the summit of Franco Fagioli in this DVD. Catriona Smith rather weak and quavery. A lot of the music is the same as Barber of Seville.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

I am not that keen on La Bohème BUT the rendition of "O Soave Fanciulla" in this CD has nearly convinced me otherwise. Nuanced, delicate, soaring. Wow.

[Hoffmann]

Had a wonderful drive home from Detroit today with Met Opera Radio on Sirius/XM. Still sad to hear the late Margaret Juntwait's voice introducing the operas, but she really was so good, that it's nice the Met continues to use her intros.

Today's lineup:

Fidelio w/Erika Sunnegardh, Ben Heppner, Alan Held, et al. (2006)

The more I listen to Fidelio, the more I like it. I was cool to the opera for a long time, but today's recording was excellent listening

Otello w/Placido Domingo, Renee Fleming, James Morris, et al. (1995)

Wow! I had never heard Renee Fleming's Desdemona - outstanding! Domingo - outstanding!

La Favorita w/Shirley Verrett, Luciano Pavarotti, Sherrill Milnes, et al. (1978)

Very well sung, but I continue to not have a strong feeling about this opera.

[Florestan]

Fidelio w/Erika Sunnegardh, Ben Heppner, Alan Held, et al. (2006)

The more I listen to Fidelio, the more I like it. I was cool to the opera for a long time, but today's recording was excellent listening.

All I can find of Fidelio with Sunnegardh is Abscheulicher on MP3 or as a track on a mixed album. She sounds wonderful doing Abscheulicher (clip). I want to find the whole opera on CD now.

I love this opera! I have 19 CD sets, 2 highlight sets, and 12 DVDs! And I want MORE! I can't get enough Fidelio!