The three best for me are Norma, Puritani and Beatrice di Tenda.
What about yours?
Norma, Puritani and I Capuleti e i Montecchi.
The choice of third was tough though. It went for I Capuleti e i Montecchi since I was much into it recently and some of it's best themes still echo in my mind. So it's one of those "today it's this one, but another day could be other" kind of votes.
Bellini RZONDZI
For me however, as much as I love Il Pirata or La Straniera, my three choices are engraved in stone.
Of course, Beatrice is a much neglected and underrated opera. Here we can listen to the beautiful duet between Orombello and Agnese, with some pretty good singing from José Carreras and Elena Zilio:
Similar, except that I place I Capuleti e i Montechhi ahead of I Puritani, which is the fourth one for me.Originally Posted by Schigolch
"J'ai dit qu'il ne suffisait pas d'entendre la musique, mais qu'il fallait encore la voir" (Stravinsky)
Revealing my lack of knowledge again . . . Voted for the only two with which I'm familiar: Norma and I Puritani.
Well, I guess Norma and Puritani will easily being the most preferred ones. They are absolute masterpieces.
The Bregenz Puritani with a still young Gruberova:
[Link to video removed by Admin - video no longer available][/QUOTE]
Last edited by Ann Lander (sospiro); January 10th, 2018 at 12:59 PM.
We can add a new twist to these polls that would add to discussion.....pick three and also list your favorite recording of each.
Yes more thinking required but also could be very informative to forum and probably start further discussions, for instance
my three picks:
Norma - Callas live 1955 (Divina label master)
Puritani - Callas EMI studio 1953
Sonnambula - Sutherland Decca studio 1962
I could have easily chose Callas for Sonnambula, but just for variety sake the early Sutherland. I realize that Pavarotti is in her later recording but her voice is so much clearer and more agile here.....
Well, that's funny. I was just thinking to do precisely this after we were done with the 'Preferred' string of threads...
I like your style Schigs, lets do it.Well, that's funny. I was just thinking to do precisely this after we were done with the 'Preferred' string of threads...
The downside is this could start another round of opera CD buying and financial armageddon
Yes, after Bellini I think we can close the "preferred opera by" series and start to find our choices for the most voted pieces, but in this case it wouldn't be La Sonnambula but, rather surprisingly for me, I Capuleti e i Montecchi.
Bellini was talent. Pity he died young. Aother Mozart. I voted I Puritani.
I Puritani by a million miles. The others are all on a par so couldn't choose.
One of my favourite arias
"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
Well, it seems now Puritani is getting the upper hand.
While this is to me an undisputed masterpiece, I still prefer Norma, that is my first love as an Opera enthusiast:
It is one of the best I Puritani video around despite the fading colour. Beats the recent stagings hands down, I thinkWell, I guess Norma and Puritani will easily being the most preferred ones. They are absolute masterpieces.
The Bregenz Puritani with a still young Gruberova:
For me:
1) La sonnambula
2) I Capuleti e i Montecchi
3) Norma
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