What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Clayton]

Rameau: Les Fêtes d'Hébé
Sophie Daneman, Sarah Connolly, Maryseult Wieczorek, Gaelle Mechaly (Dessus), Jean-Paul Fouchecourt, Paul Agnew (Haute-Contres) & Luc Coadou, Thierry Felix, Matthieu Lecroart, Laurent Slaars (Basses)
Les Arts Florissants, William Christie

but this one is the opposite. The music lingers in your head and in your heart...

the cover is a bit blah though

[Clayton]

meanwhile I have been listening to



Mazzoni: Aminta il rè pastore
Anna Maria Panzarella (Aminta), Céline Ricci (Tamiri), Leif Arhun-Solén (Alessandro), Delphine Gillot (Elisa), Marina Pardo (Agenore)
Real Compañía Ópera de Cámara
Juan Bautista Otero

[Soave_Fanciulla]

but this one is the opposite. The music lingers in your head and in your heart...

Yes. it is wonderful! Christie really gets Rameau.

[Florestan]

[Hoffmann]

I finally was able to get out for a walk yesterday - a bit of a break from constant high temps/humidity counts of 90+ F (34 C). Not as good today, but still walkable.

So:

[Soave_Fanciulla]

I finally was able to get out for a walk yesterday - a bit of a break from constant high temps/humidity counts of 90+ F (34 C). Not as good today, but still walkable.

So:

A winner in every way.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

I'm also listening to Rossini, another excellent recording from Opera Rara. In this case there is the bonus game of "spot the bits from Barbiere", together with the entertaining discombobulation when the bits don't go exactly as your ear anticipates.

[Hoffmann]

I'm also listening to Rossini, another excellent recording from Opera Rara. In this case there is the bonus game of "spot the bits from Barbiere", together with the entertaining discombobulation when the bits don't go exactly as your ear anticipates.

I bought Aureliano in Palmira, I think it was in that big box of operas I bought a year or so ago, but totally forgot about and haven't yet listened to it:





Those Opera Rara recordings are good but sooooo pricey! What do you think of this one?

[Soave_Fanciulla]

I bought Aureliano in Palmira, I think it was in that big box of operas I bought a year or so ago, but totally forgot about and haven't yet listened to it:



Those Opera Rara recordings are good but sooooo pricey! What do you think of this one?

I have only heard the Opera Rara one - I usually ask the Auckland library to buy them for me to listen to, or download directly from the Opera Rara website, which is cheaper although you miss out on the gorgeous box sets.

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

I'm also listening to Rossini, another excellent recording from Opera Rara. In this case there is the bonus game of "spot the bits from Barbiere", together with the entertaining discombobulation when the bits don't go exactly as your ear anticipates.

I love these Opera Rara recordings of non-war horse operas.

[Clayton]

They are fantastic and a valuable part of the opera world. I too love the fabulous presentation of the CD box sets; not only are the recordings very good but the books that are included show that a lot of effort is invested in to their production with very interesting information and essays that are well written.

From A. Bigfanofthelabel

[Hoffmann]

I have a couple of O.R. recordings, but found this one to be difficult to listen to. Carmen Giannattasio is really forcing and her high notes made my ears bleed:




A downside of live productions is you get what you get.

[Clayton]

Recently, I have been listening to Götterdämmerung.

I have been listening to the Solti, the Böhm and the Krauss recordings and the one that I particularily enjoy at the moment is the latter (err... which is actually the earlier).

Wolfgang Windgassen (Siegfried), Astrid Varnay (Brünnhilde), Josef Greindl (Hagen), Hermann Uhde (Gunther), Gustav Neidlinger (Alberich), Natalie Hinsch-Gröndahl (Gutrune), Ira Malaniuk (Waltraute), Erika Zimmermann (Woglinde), Hetty Plümacher (Wellgunde), Gisela Litz (Flosshilde), Maria von Ilosvay (1. Norn), Ira Malaniuk (2. Norn), Regina Resnik (3. Norn)
Chor und Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele, Clemens Krauss


I see the Solti as the darker, the Böhm as the more fantastical but it is the Krauss that has the most emotional content. It can be almost painfully slow, in parts achingly soft and humanly deliberate. This is a strong interpretation for this part of the cycle and although I can pick more favourable parts from the other performances, overall this is the one that sets my Valhalla alight.

[Amfortas]

^ Continually impressed with how knowledgeable Clayton has become since he's been with us. In his unassuming way, he's turned into a discerning connoisseur.

(And no, Clayton, I'm not being patronizing--you've heard SO much that I haven't. Makes me want to set aside more time--and money--for opera.)

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Naïs: excerpts
Lynda Russell (Naïs), Ian Caddy (Jupiter/Télénus/Neptune), Richard Jackson (Tiresie), Jennifer Smith (Flore/Une Bergère), John Tomlinson (Pluton), Brian Parsons (Astérion), Antony Ransome (Palémon), Ann Mackay (Une Jeune Bergère)
English Bach Festival Baroque Orchestra & Singers, Nicholas McGegan