What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Sonata]

I'm still working on my Verdi chronological project, though I haven't mentioned it lately.

[Florestan]

Just finished:


Now this:

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

I'm still working on my Verdi chronological project, though I haven't mentioned it lately.

I hope you're enjoying your journey and the ones which followed.


20. Les Vêpres Siciliennes (13th June 1855; Académie Impériale de Musique, Paris)
Libretto: Scribe, Duveyrier

21. I Vespri siciliani (26th December 1855; Parma under the name of Giovanna di Guzman)
Libretto: Scribe, Duveyrier

22. Simon Boccanegra (12th March 1857; Teatro la Fenice, Venice)
Libretto: Piave

23. Aroldo (16th August 1857; Teatro Nuovo, Rimini)
Libretto: Piave

24. Un ballo in maschera (17th February 1859; Teatro Apollo, Rome)
Libretto: Somma

25. La forza del destino (10th November 1862; Bolshoi Theatre, St. Petersburg)
Libretto: Piave

26. Macbeth revised (21st April 1865; Théâtre Lyrique, Paris)
Libretto: Piave, Nuitter, Beaumont

27. Don Carlos (11th March 1867; Académie Impériale de Musique, Paris)
Libretto: Méry, Du Locle

28. La forza del destino revised (27th February 1869; Teatro alla Scala, Milan)
Libretto: Ghislanzoni

29. Aïda (24th December 1871; Opera House, Cairo. 8th February 1872; Teatro alla Scala, Milan)
Libretto: Ghislanzoni

30. Simon Boccanegra revised (24th March 1881; Teatro alla Scala, Milan)
Libretto: Boito

31. Don Carlo translated into Italian and revised (10th January 1884; Teatro alla Scala, Milan)
Libretto: Boito

32. Otello (5th February 1887; Teatro alla Scala, Milan)
Libretto: Boito

33. Falstaff (9th February 1893; Teatro alla Scala, Milan)
Libretto: Boito

[Amfortas]

My boyfriend found me sitting between two speakers wrapped in a blanket with the stuffiest nose in South America weeping to Norma's death.

Who among us hasn't been there?

[Soave_Fanciulla]

These are a few of my favourite things:
Domenico Scarlatti sonatas
William Thackeray's The Rose and the Ring
Thackeray's own zany illustrations for The Rose and the ring



So of course I had a whale of a time with this, musically based around aforementioned sonatas:

[Florestan]

Just finished:


Just started:

[Sonata]

I hope you're enjoying your journey and the ones which followed.


20. Les Vêpres Siciliennes (13th June 1855; Académie Impériale de Musique, Paris)
Libretto: Scribe, Duveyrier

21. I Vespri siciliani (26th December 1855; Parma under the name of Giovanna di Guzman)
Libretto: Scribe, Duveyrier

22. Simon Boccanegra (12th March 1857; Teatro la Fenice, Venice)
Libretto: Piave

23. Aroldo (16th August 1857; Teatro Nuovo, Rimini)
Libretto: Piave

24. Un ballo in maschera (17th February 1859; Teatro Apollo, Rome)
Libretto: Somma

25. La forza del destino (10th November 1862; Bolshoi Theatre, St. Petersburg)
Libretto: Piave

26. Macbeth revised (21st April 1865; Théâtre Lyrique, Paris)
Libretto: Piave, Nuitter, Beaumont

27. Don Carlos (11th March 1867; Académie Impériale de Musique, Paris)
Libretto: Méry, Du Locle

28. La forza del destino revised (27th February 1869; Teatro alla Scala, Milan)
Libretto: Ghislanzoni

29. Aïda (24th December 1871; Opera House, Cairo. 8th February 1872; Teatro alla Scala, Milan)
Libretto: Ghislanzoni

30. Simon Boccanegra revised (24th March 1881; Teatro alla Scala, Milan)
Libretto: Boito

31. Don Carlo translated into Italian and revised (10th January 1884; Teatro alla Scala, Milan)
Libretto: Boito

32. Otello (5th February 1887; Teatro alla Scala, Milan)
Libretto: Boito

33. Falstaff (9th February 1893; Teatro alla Scala, Milan)
Libretto: Boito

Excellent post! I am most definitely enjoying the journey. He's my favorite opera composer. I confess that I don't have the revised/alternate versions. There is a wonderful book at my local library that has photos and discussion of all of his operas, and it's been a very nice pairing with the listening.

I apparently leap-frogged over Trovatore, I will circle back to it after I finish this, which I started tonight:

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

I am most definitely enjoying the journey. He's my favorite opera composer.

And mine.

I confess that I don't have the revised/alternate versions. There is a wonderful book at my local library that has photos and discussion of all of his operas, and it's been a very nice pairing with the listening.

I apparently leap-frogged over Trovatore, I will circle back to it after I finish this, which I started tonight:

I'd like to get that book, what is the title?

Not all the original versions are good and I can see why they were revised. Simon Boccanegra is my favourite Verdi and my favourite opera but I was disappointed with the 1857 version.

http://www.opera-rara.com/simon-boccanegra.html

I have that I Vespri siciliani but don't have Les vêpres siciliennes.

[Luiz Gazzola (Almaviva)]

Not all the original versions are good and I can see why they were revised.

Very true. Sometimes new versions are just better - often with better pace and with cuts done to redundant and boring music. Sometimes both the old and new versions are good, in different ways - an example would be Rossini's Mosè in Egitto and Moïse et Pharaon which are significantly different but both are very good. On the other hand I always liked the original Boris Godunov with its rough and raw music (supposedly failed orchestration, but I like it) much better than the more saccharine version with RK's orchestration.

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

Very true. Sometimes new versions are just better - often with better pace and with cuts done to redundant and boring music. Sometimes both the old and new versions are good, in different ways - an example would be Rossini's Mosè in Egitto and Moïse et Pharaon which are significantly different but both are very good. On the other hand I always liked the original Boris Godunov with its rough and raw music (supposedly failed orchestration, but I like it) much better than the more saccharine version with RK's orchestration.

I prefer the original Boris Godunov too. I think it was arrogant of RK and Shostakovich to think that their versions were 'better' and that this would be what Mussorgsky really intended.

[Florestan]

Awesome opera! Awesome recording!

[Clayton]

I think GC is a great opera too. Two of my favourite productions that are also favourites of other members are the William Christie Glyndebourne and the Curtis recordings. If you want to explore further, I would recommend these two.


Sarah Connolly (Cesare), Danielle de Niese (Cleopatra), Angelika Kirchschlager (Sesto), Christophe Dumaux (Tolomeo), Patricia Bardon (Cornelia), Christopher Maltman (Achilla) & Rachid Ben Abdeslam (Nireno)
The Glyndebourne Chorus & Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, William Christie (conductor) & David McVicar (stage director)
2005


Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Giulio Cesare), Karina Gauvin (Cleopatra), Romina Basso (Cornelia), Emoke Barath (Sesto), Filippo Mineccia (Tolomeo), Johannes Weisser (Achilla), Milena Storti (Nireno), Gianluca Buratto (Curio)
Il Complesso Barocco, Alan Curtis
2011

[Florestan]

I think GC is a great opera too. Two of my favourite productions that are also favourites of other members are the William Christie Glyndebourne and the Curtis recordings. If you want to explore further, I would recommend these two.

Sarah Connolly (Cesare), Danielle de Niese (Cleopatra), Angelika Kirchschlager (Sesto), Christophe Dumaux (Tolomeo), Patricia Bardon (Cornelia), Christopher Maltman (Achilla) & Rachid Ben Abdeslam (Nireno)
The Glyndebourne Chorus & Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, William Christie (conductor) & David McVicar (stage director)
2005

Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Giulio Cesare), Karina Gauvin (Cleopatra), Romina Basso (Cornelia), Emoke Barath (Sesto), Filippo Mineccia (Tolomeo), Johannes Weisser (Achilla), Milena Storti (Nireno), Gianluca Buratto (Curio)
Il Complesso Barocco, Alan Curtis
2011

I will explore your recommendations. I have only watched the sunt-in-English one with Janet Baker and loved it. In fact, I ordered the soundtrack to that too. I cannot find a better rendition of "Da tempeste" than Valerie Masterson in the sung-in-English set:

[Festat]

Awesome opera! Awesome recording!

The day has come! Florestan listening to countertenors! And enjoying it!

[Sonata]

Started this in the morning on my work commute. Maybe I should have waited until after I finished my DVD of Rusalka. And I also just finished listening to Verdi last night.....I have Russian and Czech and Italian opera fusing in my head!