What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Hoffmann]

This recording, from 1954, unfortunately is in mono - but is beautifully sung:

Karajan with Elizabeth Schwarzkopf (Fiordiligi), Nan Merriman (Dorabella), Rolando Panerai (Guglielmo), Leopold Simoneau (Ferrando), Sesto Bruscantini (Don Alfonso) and Lisa Otto (Despina)

[Itullian]

This is considered Korngold's masterpiece and I can see why!
This thing is magnificent!!!

[MAuer]

Conductor/orchestra: Zubin Mehta, RAI Orchestra and Chorus
Cast: Sesto Bruscantini (Figaro), Teresa Stratas (Susanna), Sena Jurinac (Contessa d’Almaviva), Mario Petri (Conte d’Almaviva), Teresa Berganza (Cherubino), Giorgio Tadeo (Dr. Bartolo), Nucci Condo (Marcellina), Agostino Lazzari (Don Basilio), Lilia Reyes (Barbarina), Alfredo Mariotti (Antonio), Angelo Degli Innocenti (Don Curzio)

[Da55id]

I have this recording on CD but with a different cover. Its an EMI Classics for Pleasure and seems to be a Glyndebourne production recorded at Abbey Road just 2 months before I was born! Conducted by Gui, it has Bruscantini along with Franco Calabrese, Xena Jurinac, Graziella Scuitti and Ian Wallace. Still available it seems!!

[Florestan]

One of my favorite Sutherland Sonnambulas (1960 below) along with the 1963 MET recording. This one includes a BBC radio introduction too.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Simply brilliant and very affecting

Adams, J: Doctor Atomic
Gerald Finley (Robert Oppenheimer), Julia Bullock (Kitty Oppenheimer), Brindley Sherratt (Edward Teller), Samuel Sakker (James Nolan), Andrew Staples (Robert Wilson), Jennifer Johnston (Pasqualita)
BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Orchestra, John Adams

[MAuer]

Conductor/orchestra: Carlo Maria Giulini, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Cast: Piero Cappuccilli (Rigoletto), Ileana Cotrubas (Gilda), Plácido Domingo (Duca di Mantova), Nicolai Ghiaurov (Sparafucile), Elena Obraztsova (Maddalena), Hanna Schwarz (Giovanna), Kurt Moll (Monterone), Luigi de Corato (Marullo), Walter Gullino (Borsa)

[Clayton]

[Doctor Atomic ]

Okay, now I want to listen to it.

[Clayton]

The BBC proms had the coupling of Simon Rattle, Magdalena Kožená and Ravel last night (or is that a tripling?) which was fun. The main course was the one act opera L'enfant et les sortilèges. Of course now I want to watch that and need to buy the dvd of maybe the Glyndebourne production.

That then led me to search my tea cabinet for


Gluck: Paride ed Elena
Magdalena Kozená (Paride), Susan Gritton (Elena), Carolyn Sampson (Amore), Gillian Webster (Pallade)
Gabrieli Consort & Players, Paul McCreesh

[Florestan]

Just arrived. My third Scotto Sonnambula set. I like it in spite of a lot of audience noise, much coughing, and someone at one point actually loudly blowing their nose!

[MAuer]

[QUOTE=Florestan;66111]Just arrived. My third Scotto Sonnambula set. I like it in spite of a lot of audience noise, much coughing, and someone at one point actually loudly blowing their nose!

[Florestan]

[QUOTE=MAuer;66114]

Just arrived. My third Scotto Sonnambula set. I like it in spite of a lot of audience noise, much coughing, and someone at one point actually loudly blowing their nose!

Yeah, that part I could do with out. Thankfully I have two other Scotto Sonnambulas that don't have that feature.

I just edited the nose blow out of it, if that is what it was. Here is a 10 second clip of it.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

The BBC proms had the coupling of Simon Rattle, Magdalena Kožená and Ravel last night (or is that a tripling?) which was fun. The main course was the one act opera L'enfant et les sortilèges. Of course now I want to watch that and need to buy the dvd of maybe the Glyndebourne production.

Yes it is wonderful - a perfect production

[Itullian]

^^^^^ Well, I've listened to the First 2 acts so far and I must say I am mostly impressed.
Pappano, to me, gives a warm, detailed, very musical account, rising to the occasion in the big orchestral moments.
I heard things in the score I hadn't heard before and was glued to the performance.
I sometimes missed the larger voices of Windgassen, Treptow and even Suthaus, but I knew that going in.
Domingo gives an involved performance with a beautiful tone and blends with his Isolde, Nina Stemme beautifully.
Pape's King Marke is excellent to, full voiced and noble sounding.
The other 2 singers do very well as well.
The orchestra playing is beautiful, full and rich throughout and transparent as well. Pappano did this score proud, imo.
I wish he'd do more Wagner.
His love of this music shines through .
Oh yeah, the recording is in EMI's best digital sound.
I will listen to this often.
In short, I loved it
All mho of course.

[Florestan]

^^^^^ Well, I've listened to the First 2 acts so far and I must say I am mostly impressed.
Pappano, to me, gives a warm, detailed, very musical account, rising to the occasion in the big orchestral moments.
I heard things in the score I hadn't heard before and was glued to the performance.
I sometimes missed the larger voices of Windgassen, Treptow and even Suthaus, but I knew that going in.
Domingo gives an involved performance with a beautiful tone and blends with his Isolde, Nina Stemme beautifully.
Pape's King Marke is excellent to, full voiced and noble sounding.
The other 2 singers do very well as well.
I like this version very much.
The orchestra playing is beautiful, full and rich throughout and transparent as well. Pappano did this score proud, imo.
I wish he'd do more Wagner.
His love of this music shines through .
Oh yeah, the recording is in EMI's best digital sound.
I will listen to this often.
In short, I loved it
All mho of course.

It is a joy to see your zeal for this opera. I plan to bore into some Wagner eventually but am still riding out my La Sonnambula wave right now. Have been listening to mostly La Sonnambula for 25 days straight now!