Jean-Baptiste Lully, Acis & Galatée
This is an odd experience. Last time I saw this was live at the ROH in the mid-80s with Solti conducting. And I was a different person, and knew so much less about opera than now (at least now I know how much I have yet to learn!). I wish I could go back and see all those operas again (I might have enjoyed Akhnaten and Xerxes at the ENO more, and of course being a founder member of WERMA I would not have been so horrified at David Alden's Madly Regie Mazeppa.
Natalie
This recording cannot be praised or loved too much......a reference to be treasured and played oftenOriginally Posted by sospiro
It was pouring with rain & very windy this morning so need some good marching music on the Walkman.
Each time I listen to this I love it a bit more.
I can understand that feeling, but at least you did see them.
This is an odd experience. Last time I saw this was live at the ROH in the mid-80s with Solti conducting. And I was a different person, and knew so much less about opera than now (at least now I know how much I have yet to learn!). I wish I could go back and see all those operas again (I might have enjoyed Akhnaten and Xerxes at the ENO more,
WERMA? OK, I'll bite
"Every theatre is an insane asylum, but an opera theatre is the ward for the incurables."
FRANZ SCHALK, attributed, Losing the Plot in Opera: Myths and Secrets of the World's Great Operas
Gosh, you were in 80's when all those kick-*** bands like KISS very rockin' live and you went to see some musty opera thing, lol rotfl...
New special VIP group founded by Amfortas (the mastermind) Soave, Askel to cater to the "special" tastes of members who have somehow learned to tolerate and dare I say even like the cazy absurd over the top reggie theater style productions.I can understand that feeling, but at least you did see them.
WERMA? OK, I'll bite
This dangerous rogue group threatens to grow and challenge the pillars of established western art......beware it is spreading and could infect others here
WERMA = wild eyed reggie maniac association (we can just call them the worms, ha ha)
"Every theatre is an insane asylum, but an opera theatre is the ward for the incurables."
FRANZ SCHALK, attributed, Losing the Plot in Opera: Myths and Secrets of the World's Great Operas
My favorite Lady MacBeth, Callas in the early 1950s bringing down the house at La Scala, searing live 1952 performance........
Listening to this obscure 3CD Callas collection, I really purchased because the 3 panel digipak is so beautiful and price is very cheap at Amazon USA ($4)
Everybody says Italian audiences are weird because they start applauding great moments even if they happen to be in the middle of piece, so you can't hear the few seconds of music after some note they particularly liked. But the really dumb audience must be the Tokyo one. You get that silent ending in Otello and they start applause in the middle of it. Not even straight after singing is over, just out of the blue during silent chord from orchestra. The only impulse I can guess is curtain going down but that's still dumb. This is 1959, over decade later, in 70's, the same thing happened in Faust with Alfredo Kraus and Renata Scotto in Tokyo, silent, contemplative ending ruined. Italian outburst of passions are at least explainable, Japanese opera goers can't justify themselves with passion or spontaneous enthusiasm, shame on them.
Och, and the performance. Very fine, Gobbi is venomous Iago and Tucci has another great moment in her recorded career. No need to write about MdM. Too bad that from some parts of the stage the singers couldn't get audible enough.
Another by Turandot Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini.
Interesting sets, traditional in spirit and stylised. I have not yet come across a trashed out Regie Turandot, perhaps the Chinese/oriental plot would be made so damn silly if taken to another time and place. Thank goodness for that.
Eva Marton looking regal.
Listening to the big stars again including von Karajan directing an aged production transferred to DVD (not that it bothered me). Very "heavy duty" singing with heavy vibrato and loud orchestral "fortissimo" under von Karajan, as if he was conducting a Beethoven or Bruckner symphony, though sounding impressive, might be a touch over blown for Verdi. The staging was apparently directed by von Karajn too, which clearly showed he was no stage director; although traditional, the movement and interaction amongst singers and even the background, was simplistic. Still, the crowds evidently loved it. I would have enjoyed it if I was in the theatre perhaps more than in front of the television.
Placidone looks like a pirate!
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