Reply With QuoteHow are enjoying this one?Originally Posted by Florestan
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He didn't figure in the recent Geneva production either.
Natalie
How are enjoying this one?
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This is the recording of Alcina I have, and love it. But the folks at Fanfare.com are wrong about the role of Oronte being cut -- it's sung by Nicola Monti.
That's quite a funny mistake... I wonder what recording they were thinking of?
I understand at that time making the heavy cuts, trying to resell ba'rock 'n roll to the audiences where it was not so popular but I don't understand it so much in this day (recent Geneva production) where there are so many fans that love this work. If it's a cost cutting exercise it seems as random as performing naked to save on costume costs or singing in the dark to save electricity.
They probably just got confused with the O's. It's Oberto that's cut, not Oronte.
I like that recording too. If a tenor is to sing Ruggiero's music it pretty much has to be Wunderlich.
It is very good and has two main characters in common with my DVD--Mattila and Heppner. But I must confess I find Meistersinger a difficult work to get through. Maybe if I watch the DVD more and become more familiar with it all, but it is rather lengthy.
"Music is enought for a whole lifetime--but a lifetime is not enough for music." --Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff
Die beiden Pädagogen - Mendelssohn / Krisztina Laki
Le Cid - Massenet / Domingo & Bumbry
Lodoiska- Cherubini / Devia
Now
"Music is enought for a whole lifetime--but a lifetime is not enough for music." --Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff
I think that would be my mistake. Oronte - Oberto ... Oberto - Oronte. What's a boy to do?
"Music is enought for a whole lifetime--but a lifetime is not enough for music." --Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff
This is the opera that set off a revolution. Not surprising really - plenty of rousing patriotic arias. It reminded me a bit of Guillaume Tell (not as good though).
Why does the amazing soprano-mezzo duet not feature more often in recitals and collections? It is utterly stunning!
Also realised that La Monnaie's recent production fiddled around with the story to make ti more dramatic - but it works better in the original as here.
Natalie
More Puccini!!!*
Surprisingly despite having listened to it twice within a week Suor Angelica is still sounding very fresh. Suor Angelica truly is a beautiful opera and I remain amazed at the way that Puccini created something that is remarkably balanced without the use of a single male voice.
Madama Butterfly is beautiful but emotionally taxing it's score however is very clever the more I listen to it. Particularly cruel on the part of Puccini to poor Butterfly is the reuse of parts of the love duet that when played in the first act symbolize hope but by the time act two comes around seem to symbolize Butterfly's naivety and the cruel fate that awaits her in act three.
Gianni Schicchi remains a hilarious comedy even in audio form (I may have replayed the trio by the 3 Donati women thrice it's my favourite part of the opera by far). As I once listened to it three times in a day (may have been more) and almost daily for a month I can say with confidence I am unlikely to tire of it anytime soon.
I await Wednesday with bated breath when I can finally put the infernal dissertation behind me!!!
*Hopefully something different soon! I might try the bohemians tomorrow been a while or one of the verdi's I listen to less.
"Non sono in vena" Rodolfo summing up P.B's feelings on his dissertation.
Found this in a handfull of CDs I purchased at a garage sale last summer. Forgot about it until now:
Next up:
"Music is enought for a whole lifetime--but a lifetime is not enough for music." --Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff
I recommend the Glyndebourne/McVicar production
Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Recorded live at Glyndebourne, Lewes, July 2011
Gerald Finley (Hans Sachs), Anna Gabler (Eva), Johannes Martin Kränzle (Sixtus Beckmesser), Marco Jentzsch (Walther von Stolzing), Topi Lehtipuu (David), Michaela Selinger (Magdalene), Alastair Miles (Veit Pogner), Henry Waddington (Fritz Kothner), Mats Almgren (Nightwatchman), Colin Judson (Kunz Vogelgesang), Andrew Slater (Konrad Nachtigall), Alasdair Elliott (Balthasar Zorn), Adrian Thompson (Ulrich Eisslinger), Daniel Norman (Augustin Moser), Robert Poulton (Hermann Ortel), Maxim Mikailov (Hans Schwarz), Graeme Broadbent (Hans Foltz)
London Philharmonic Orchestra, The Glyndebourne Chorus, Vladimir Jurowski (conductor) & David McVicar (stage director)
It's a beautiful set and costumes and no profound modern interpretations in the story, I think Florestan would like it very much. The cast is very good (I am a big Finley fan) and being a modern recording it has very good picture and sound. Glyndebourne are very strong in these technical aspects.
I love this opera and often find that just one listening is not enough...
Capriccio with Janowitz
La Cenerentola with Berganza
Don Pasquale with Mei
Now this,
"Music is enought for a whole lifetime--but a lifetime is not enough for music." --Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff
Another day another couple of Puccini operas. These one have however, not been heard in quite a while. Firstly a true classic.
La bohème is incredibly tightly constructed. The improvement in comparison to Manon Lescaut which is itself not a bad opera is palpable. It is in bohème where Puccini's perfects his timing a key aspect in why the rest of his works are so much better.
Secondly the comparatively neglected La Rondine
Its third act is weak but its first two have some of Puccini's most glorious melodies and I confess that I like the story as shallow as it might be.
Dissertation is coming along fine binding on Wednesday then final hand in afterwords
"Non sono in vena" Rodolfo summing up P.B's feelings on his dissertation.
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