What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Hoffmann]

For yesterday's outing:

[Florestan]

ha ha! snap... well almost

I was listening to a different telling of the story. Actually I've been listening to it a number of times

Attachment 10171

Haydn: L'anima del filosofo, ossia Orfeo ed Euridice
Cecilia Bartoli (Euridice/Genio), Uwe Heilmann (Orfeo), Ildebrando D'Arcangelo (Creonte), Andrea Silvestrelli (Pluto)
The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood
Recorded Henry Wood Hall December 1995 and a little bit more a little bit later.

Not only LIKE and THANK but GREATLY APPRECIATED that you posted this. Now I have it coming in the mail. I did not like Bartoli for the most part, but now she is growing on me and I think her voice is best suited to Baroque (I need Rinaldo with her in it, but there is that pesky countertenor), so this will suffice. Not quite Baroque but close I guess.

MY countertenor problem is multifold. One is that they are creepy. But a new issue just popped up that if I listen to contertenors it could make me not like female altos if they remind me of contertenors. I don't want to go so far as to say all countertenors should be summarily shot, but they do present a problem to me, and they do have the right to sing, whether I like it or not.

[Hoffmann]

It was cold and really windy today (winds at 20 MPH/~33 KPH), so satisfied myself with a walk to Whole Foods (AKA "Why Pay Less"). For my listening pleasure this afternoon, after a lovely nap:

[Florestan]

It's only highlights but I am enjoying it. Enough of the English to satisfy.

[Florestan]

Doesn't have the excitement of the DVD featuring Cecilia Bartoli as Nina, but that may be the difference between DVD and sound recording. However, I can't help sense a lack of insanity in the vocals on this CD.

[Hoffmann]

Happy New Year, everybody!

Yesterday morning:




Once this started playing, I recalled why I don't listen to it very often - an execrable recording! Early Ghiaurov, and the opera itself doesn't provide much of a vehicle for his remarkable voice.

Then, for my walk (I did the easy 6 mile route but used my eyepatch, which makes walking more manageable and less disconcerting because the cars stay on the road and off the sidewalk):




A really lovely "Caro nome", such that I had to double check who it was that sings Gilda on this recording. Dumb Shock! Renata Scotto! Wow, in 1964 she could sing the socks off this role.

This morning, as I write:



Leonie Rysanek doing an impressive job as Lady M.

[Florestan]

[Clayton]

I don't know this opera

Any comments?

[Florestan]

I don't know this opera

Any comments?

Is a typical captured-by-the-Moslems-and-rescued-type opera set in the late fifteenth century. What is exceptional to me is the great singing. I bought it for Larmore, but all the soloists are very good.

EDIT: Also it is more an operetta as it fits on a single disk.

[Hoffmann]

For my New Year's Day walk, a familiar favorite:





I really wanted to listen to Lohengrin but had neglected to recharge the iPod Nano with German operas. Not that Rossini is second best...

[Soave_Fanciulla]

EDIT: Also it is more an operetta as it fits on a single disk.

Let's call it an operino then.

[Amfortas]

Is a typical captured-by-the-Moslems-and-rescued-type opera . . .

How come no one's written an opera about all the times that's happened to me?

[Clayton]

How come no one's written an opera about all the times that's happened to me?

Maybe this one was written about you. They just changed the names to protect your identity.




oops!

I revealed by accident...

[Clayton]

I found some jewelry lying in the ditch and pawned it to pay for a down payment on my house and some geezer wrote this opera.

[Sonata]

For my New Year's Day walk, a familiar favorite:





I really wanted to listen to Lohengrin but had neglected to recharge the iPod Nano with German operas. Not that Rossini is second best...

Wow. I thought I had a lot of music to have one dedicated music player to opera (my OperaPod). but to have it even further divided into seperate players by language. Wow!


Right now I am enjoying my favorite female singer: Beverly Sills. I wouldn't try to make a claim that she's the best or even close, but I can't explain it. I feel warm and fuzzy when I hear her sing. She sounds like she loves singing