What opera have you been listening to, lately?

**Sonata** · June 19th, 2018, 04:18 PM

Digging deeper into my unlistened to pile:

Bellini: La Straniera.
Renato Scotto in very fine voice in this one. More audience noise than I'd like, but I'm enjoying it.

**Florestan** · June 19th, 2018, 11:36 PM

Originally Posted by Sonata

Digging deeper into my unlistened to pile:

Bellini: La Straniera.
Renato Scotto in very fine voice in this one. More audience noise than I'd like, but I'm enjoying it.

When you get around to listening to the La Sonnambula off that set, I am curious how you like it.

**Sonata** · June 20th, 2018, 01:41 AM

Originally Posted by Florestan

When you get around to listening to the La Sonnambula off that set, I am curious how you like it.

I will let you know for sure, Florestan. I listened to it once when I first got the set, but it was a few years ago and I don't remember much. I shall actually get to Sonnambula quite soon as I just checked out a DVD of the opera with Anna Netrebko last week. I plan to start watching it tomorrow, and will follow-up with an audio recording shortly. I don't know if it will be from that box or if I'll go with my Cecilia Bartoli recording though.

But for tonight, whilst I AM listening to more Bellini, it's Norma
This opera hasn't clicked for me on previous listenings, but I think it was one of those operas I needed to watch to really appreciate. I'm really enjoying this listen, and Maria Callas' performance

**Soave_Fanciulla** · June 20th, 2018, 09:23 AM

Working my way through my Massenet box in the car

Thaïs: Beverly Sills, Sherrill Milnes, Nicolai Gedda, Ann Murray, Richard van Allan, Norma Burrowes & Patricia Kern
John Alldis Choir & New Philharmonia Orchestra, Lorin Maazel

Sapho: Renée Doria (Fanny Legrand), Ginès Sirera (Jean Gaussin), Gisèle Ory (Divonne), Adrien Legros (Césaire), Elya Waisman (Irène), Gamboa René (Caoudal), Christian Baudéan (La Borderie), Jean-Jacques Doumène (Le Patron)
Orchestre Symphonique de la Garde Républicaine, Roger Boutry

This opera is very verismo, reminded me of Charpentier's Louise; not what I would normally have expected from Massenet

ALSO WHO DESIGNED THAT COVER????

**Florestan** · June 20th, 2018, 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by Soave_Fanciulla

ALSO WHO DESIGNED THAT COVER????

Horrible cover. Glad you didn't post a larger image.

**Florestan** · June 20th, 2018, 11:55 PM

**MAuer** · June 23rd, 2018, 05:05 PM

Richard Bonynge conducting, with Mariella Devia and William Matteuzzi in the leads.

**Florestan** · June 23rd, 2018, 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by MAuer

Richard Bonynge conducting, with Mariella Devia and William Matteuzzi in the leads.

Nice to see some Devia recordings being pursued.

**Florestan** · June 23rd, 2018, 07:08 PM

First complete Martha since 1977 and a great one.

**MAuer** · June 24th, 2018, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by Florestan

Nice to see some Devia recordings being pursued.

I also have the Sonnambula with her Amina. Her voice is lovely. (Somewhere, I have a cassette tape on which I recorded a Met radio broadcast of Rigoletto with her Gilda and Sherrill Milnes' jester.)

**Sonata** · June 24th, 2018, 01:30 PM

Massente: Esclarmonde, with Joan Sutherland

**Ann Lander (sospiro)** · June 24th, 2018, 05:25 PM

Originally Posted by MAuer

I also have the Sonnambula with her Amina. Her voice is lovely. (Somewhere, I have a cassette tape on which I recorded a Met radio broadcast of Rigoletto with her Gilda and Sherrill Milnes' jester.)

What a great recording to have. Wasn't it great when you could record straight from the radio. I loved my radio cassette player. Now I have to record on to my PC from internet radio which is always risky and then create a CD if I want a disc.

**halochef** · June 24th, 2018, 07:04 PM

i have a question about 2 operas by Handel. Sosarme and Agrippina. and
my question is in the video Agrippina at the 2:34 min mark are these duets the same? the music sounds the same. is libretto different. thank you very much. ps just like new into opera

**Amfortas** · June 24th, 2018, 09:10 PM

Something's wrong. I'm listening to Puccini--Bohème, Butterfly--and liking it.

It must be the Callas.

**Luiz Gazzola (Almaviva)** · June 25th, 2018, 12:43 AM

Originally Posted by halochef

i have a question about 2 operas by Handel. Sosarme and Agrippina. and
my question is in the video Agrippina at the 2:34 min mark are these duets the same? the music sounds the same. is libretto different. thank you very much. ps just like new into opera

It's the same music and the same lyrics. It's called "Per le porte del tormento passan l'anime a gioir" and it continues "Sta 'l contento del cordoglio sul confine, non v'è rosa senza spine, né piacer senza martir." The thing is, Handel was in the habit of recycling music. It's originally from Sosarme but he interpolated it in Imeneo too. I was unaware that he used it in Agrippina as well. He likely didn't. Looking up a libretto for Agrippina, it's not there. So maybe this *production* chose to interpolate it there. Which is not unheard of, in the history of opera. There was actually a tradition in the past of singers interpolating stuff from other operas, just to show off their vocal talents. So maybe this production had a "wink, wink" to this tradition.

Remember the famous "Lascia ch'io pianga" from Rinaldo? It was originally, slightly different in words ("Lascia la spina") but with the same music, in Il trionfo del tempo e del disingano. As a matter of fact the melody was composed even earlier, and was heard without words in a dance number in Almira. So this is something that Handel habitually did. Agrippina does borrow a lot of music from Il trionfo del tempo e del disingano, too.