What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Florestan]

I have this. Haven't listened in a long time, but my recollection is that it is a great recording.

EDIT: Just queued this one up and am listening to it now.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Highly recommended to all French Baroque fans. Finishes with a truly gorgeous duet, up there with "Pur ti miro: from L'Incoronazione and "Caro! - Bella!" from Giulio Cesare.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

An oldie (for authentic performance) but a real goodie. Especially Schreier, and of course Salminen who has ALL the low notes!

[Sonata]

[Hoffmann]

This arrived a couple of days ago and I couldn't resist. It's good - the singing is competent, but neither is it on the same level as Sutherland, Horne, Studer, Ramey, Caballe, Larmore, etc. It's ok, but doesn't rank with the other recordings I tend to favor (except Naxos' Alex Penda, and this one is better than that).


For yesterday's walk:



Love, love, love Frederica von Stade!

[Hoffmann]

It was a particularly nice spring (!) day today, so went out for a walk, along with lots and lots of cyclists and runners also out on the trail this afternoon (requiring me to be extra cautious since I can't much see where all those people are these days).

I listened to the last of my recent purchases:





This is a lively recording and features really lovely singing from Marilyn Horne, Victoria de los Angeles, Sesto Bruscantini, Nicola Zaccaria and others (and, for those who are interested, no counter-tenors in sight). I like it better than the Naive recording under Jean-Christophe Spinosi which seems a little deliberate in its pacing.

[Florestan]

Very similar to Gotterdammerung in characters and story: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigurd_(opera)

[Florestan]

Behrens is an adorable Leonore:


This is an excellent Fidelio:


Next up (this one a bit quirky):

[Clayton]

Highly recommended to all French Baroque fans. Finishes with a truly gorgeous duet, up there with "Pur ti miro: from L'Incoronazione and "Caro! - Bella!" from Giulio Cesare.

Mitchell will be delivering this tomorrow! exciting...

[Florestan]

Just started this one:

[Hoffmann]

Something a little different and, actually, pretty good. I think Caballe could do anything:

[Florestan]

Best recording of the original version of Fidelio.

[Clayton]

Something a little different and, actually, pretty good. I think Caballe could do anything:

Hoffmann warming to this opera... I can't remember if it was a different version that you weren't that impressed with (going back a few years here) and did Caballé make the magic happen with Les Danaïdes?

[MAuer]

Best recording of the original version of Fidelio.

This, of course, has the complete dialogue. But in terms of the cast, I'm rather partial to de Billy (with Camilla Nylund's Leonore and the late Gerd Grochowski as Pizarro) and John Eliot Gardiner (Hillevi Martinpelto and Kim Begley in the leads).

- - - Updated - - -



Conductor/orchestra: Sir Antonio Pappano, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
Cast: Anja Harteros (Aida), Jonas Kaufmann (Radamès), Ekaterina Semenchuk (Amneris), Ludovic Tezier (Amonasro), Erwin Schrott (Ramfis), Marco Spotti (King of Egypt), Paolo Fanale (Messenger), Eleonora Buratto (Temple Priestess)

Love this!

[Hoffmann]

Hoffmann warming to this opera... I can't remember if it was a different version that you weren't that impressed with (going back a few years here) and did Caballé make the magic happen with Les Danaïdes?

Yes, when I wrote that yesterday, I wondered if my earlier comments would come back to haunt me. I listened to Les Danaïdes with some trepidation yesterday, since I remembered that I wasn't all that much impressed the first time. This is the same recording as the earlier one I wrote about.

Two things seem to be happening 1) All you fine folks with your wide experience and differing tastes have proven to have had a broadening effect on my own otherwise narrow listening habits. Yes, even Luiz and his constant encouragement to give contemporary opera a chance is having some success. I might not ultimately come to love the genre, but so far am finding pieces here and there that are impressive and enjoyable. And,

2) Listening at home where I don't have the multitude of stimuli to distract me every second that are persistent during my walks allows more time to sit and appreciate what otherwise competes with said stimuli. I was actually able to listen to and appreciate Caballé's singing yesterday morning.

Even without an artist of Caballé's caliber present on the recording, I might now be willing to give Salieri's Falstaff another go!