What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Florestan]

Highlights with my favorite Nancy: Elizabeth Steiner.

[Clayton]

I have been having a little poochie moment.

[Amfortas]

I enjoyed this. The sound was OK. I thought Edelmann was very good and Schwarzkopf as well. Wasn't crazy about Hopf. but the rest were fine. I thought Karajan pressed a bit too hard with his faster tempos.
But to hear this historic occasion was well worth it.
I'm sure I'll be listening to it again.
Thanks Amfortas

You're welcome. Sounds like we had similar reactions.

[Florestan]

Just arrived today. Excellent recording/performance. Comes with a beautiful booklet of heavy high gloss pages with a lot of photographs of actors and scenes from historic performances. This set is mastered from the original master tapes and the performance is faithful to the original with no cuts and "all the later adjustments and home-grown additions removed."

[Sonata]

Verdi: Ernani
with Leontyne Price and Carlo Bergonzi, two of my favorite opera singers

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Both well sung, but I prefer the King version. Better voices, and more pastoral and evocative.

Handel: L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato
Gillian Webster (soprano), Laurence Kilsby (treble), Jeremy Ovenden (tenor), Peter Harvey (baritone), Ashley Riches (bass), William Whitehead (organ)
Gabrieli Consort & Players, Paul McCreesh



Handel: L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato
Susan Gritton, Claron McFadden, Lorna Anderson, Paul Agnes, Neal Davies
The King's Consort, Robert King

[Florestan]

[Florestan]

[Florestan]

These two. Like them both very much. Hard to choose between them for a favorite.

[Florestan]

Going back to the one I had to begin with, it turns out to be a fine recording that stands right up there with the two posted above.

[MAuer]

Going back to the one I had to begin with, it turns out to be a fine recording that stands right up there with the two posted above.

I've been seriously thinking of buying this recording -- can't quite choose between it or the version with Mattila and Araiza in the leads. I have the Carlos Kleiber on DG with Janowitz and Schreier, and while overall it's a fine recording, I really can't warm much to Schreier's lightweight, nasalized Max. (What I'd really like is a new recording with Kaufmann and either Harteros or Nylund as Agathe. )

[Sonata]

Back to Back Verdion Carlo

Over the weekend: Guilini


Now onto: Solti


I also own the IMHO under-rated Haitink, but will not be listening to that in this go-around

[Florestan]

[Clayton]

Verismo

it sounds a bit like "very small" to me

verismo

I think it's a causes a little confusion in my very small brain with some of the shorter operas and that it seems like a short period in opera history

verismo

I remember a member saying his father didn't approve and called it "nuova scola"...




Cavalleria Rusticana & I Pagliacci
Leonie Rysanek (Santuzza), Plácido Domingo (Turiddu, Canio), Astrid Varnay (Mamma Lucia), Teresa Stratas (Nedda), Wolfgang Brendel (Silvio) & Benito di Bella (Alfio, Tonio)
Bavarian State Opera, Nello Santi
1978

[Sonata]

Mozart: Cosi Fan Tutte
Leinsdorf, with Leontyne Price