What Opera Are You Listening to Now?

[André]

Siegfried from this excellently produced cheapo set:



Wagnerian singing experienced its Golden Age in the 1950s, with singers capable of doing justice to the huge demands of Wagner's Ring and Tristan (the most demanding of his operas). No less than 3 incredible Brünnhildes reigned between 1952-1958, with Astrid Varnay, Martha Mödl and Birgit Nilsson. Tristan, Siegfried and Siegmund were sung by Windgassen, Vinay, Vickers. In the past decades no soprano or tenor has come close to the vocal health and splendor of these giants.

This 1953 Ring casts Windgassen as Siegfried, Paul Kuen as Mime, Hans Hotter as Wotan. Gustav Neidlinger is Alberich, Josef Greindl = Fafner and Martha Mödl sings Brünnhilde. The stars of the evening are indisputably Windgassen and Kuen. No Siegfried has sounded so insolently youthful and vocally healthy in the Forging Song. Paul Kuen sings the role of Mime instead of whining and crawling, Gollum-like. Hotter rises to his heartbreaking soliloquy in the third act with moving grandeur. Mödl is a womanly, strong-willed yet pliant Brünnhilde. Only the concluding high C finds her in less than ideal form, but it's practically drowned by the orchestral tempest conjured from the pit by Keilberth. He is an excellent conductor, attentive throughout to the long line and the pacing of the action. The sound is mono but ultra clear, with excellent dynamic range and freedom from peaking.

[ritter]

Siegfried from this excellently produced cheapo set:



Wagnerian singing experienced its Golden Age in the 1950s, with singers capable of doing justice to the huge demands of Wagner's Ring and Tristan (the most demanding of his operas). No less than 3 incredible Brünnhildes reigned between 1952-1958, with Astrid Varnay, Martha Mödl and Birgit Nilsson. Tristan, Siegfried and Siegmund were sung by Windgassen, Vinay, Vickers. In the past decades no soprano or tenor has come close to the vocal health and splendor of these giants.

This 1953 Ring casts Windgassen as Siegfried, Paul Kuen as Mime, Hans Hotter as Wotan. Gustav Neidlinger is Alberich, Josef Greindl = Fafner and Martha Mödl sings Brünnhilde. The stars of the evening are indisputably Windgassen and Kuen. No Siegfried has sounded so insolently youthful and vocally healthy in the Forging Song. Paul Kuen sings the role of Mime instead of whining and crawling, Gollum-like. Hotter rises to his heartbreaking soliloquy in the third act with moving grandeur. Mödl is a womanly, strong-willed yet pliant Brünnhilde. Only the concluding high C finds her in less than ideal form, but it's practically drowned by the orchestral tempest conjured from the pit by Keilberth. He is an excellent conductor, attentive throughout to the long line and the pacing of the action. The sound is mono but ultra clear, with excellent dynamic range and freedom from peaking.

Great review, Andre. Thanks! I should get hold of a Keilberth Ring (preferably with Mödl --a favourite of mine--, as I already have Varnay under Krauss).

Now, if you only found the time to learn to enjoy the greatest of Wagner's operas...Parsifal! 

[Lisztianwagner]

Richard Wagner
Tannhäuser, act 1^

André Cluytens & Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele

[NumberSix]

Bizet's "Carmen." Elina Garanca (Carmen); Roberto Alagna (Don José). Conductor: Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Production: Richard Eyre (2009).

My first opera. It all seemed rather silly to me. The cast look nothing like I imagine the characters, and a few are just downright bad actors. The plot is improbable and anticlimactic. All the good tunes are in the first half. In sum, I think opera was a terrible mistake and drama and singing should never be mixed.

And that's my review of Carmen. 

I have not seen her Carmen, but I like what I have heard from Elina Garanca.

[NumberSix]

Richard Wagner
Tannhäuser, act 1^

André Cluytens & Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele

Greatest Prelude of all time? 

[Lisztianwagner]

Greatest Prelude of all time? 

In any sense!

[Lisztianwagner]

Richard Wagner
Tannhäuser, act 2^ & 3^

André Cluytens & Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele

[André]

Great review, Andre. Thanks! I should get hold of a Keilberth Ring (preferably with Mödl --a favourite of mine--, as I already have Varnay under Krauss).

Now, if you only found the time to learn to enjoy the greatest of Wagner's operas...Parsifal! 

re: Parsifal: I love this line from Bizet's Carmen: Il est permis d'attendre, il est doux d'espérer 🤗

[San Antone]

Heggie : Dead Man Walking



The Met launched its 2023–24 season with the company premiere of the most performed new work of the last two decades: Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking. Based on the harrowing memoir by Sister Helen Prejean—which also inspired an Oscar-winning 1995 film—the opera follows Prejean as she ministers to a condemned man on death row. In this performance from the Met's Live in HD series, acclaimed mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato delivers a wrenching portrayal as Sister Helen, starring alongside bass-baritone Ryan McKinny as Joseph De Rocher, who discovers that all of God's children are worthy of redemption regardless of their crimes. Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin takes the podium to lead an austere yet utterly heartbreaking production by director Ivo van Hove.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Heggie : Dead Man Walking



The Met launched its 2023–24 season with the company premiere of the most performed new work of the last two decades: Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking. Based on the harrowing memoir by Sister Helen Prejean—which also inspired an Oscar-winning 1995 film—the opera follows Prejean as she ministers to a condemned man on death row. In this performance from the Met's Live in HD series, acclaimed mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato delivers a wrenching portrayal as Sister Helen, starring alongside bass-baritone Ryan McKinny as Joseph De Rocher, who discovers that all of God's children are worthy of redemption regardless of their crimes. Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin takes the podium to lead an austere yet utterly heartbreaking production by director Ivo van Hove.

A potent and thought-provoking story.  I remember watching it on t.v. with the original cast (with Susan Graham) years ago.  I also have it on cd.

I bet that Joyce DiDonato did it justice; sorry that I missed it.  Did you see it in the theatre?

PD

[San Antone]

A potent and thought-provoking story.  I remember watching it on t.v. with the original cast (with Susan Graham) years ago.  I also have it on cd.

I bet that Joyce DiDonato did it justice; sorry that I missed it.  Did you see it in the theatre?

PD

No, I watched the Met on Demand broadcast.  I enjoyed it and will look for more from Jake Heggie.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

No, I watched the Met on Demand broadcast.  I enjoyed it and will look for more from Jake Heggie.

What does it cost these days?  And does it include access to their database archives?  And to any other things (like other videos, etc.)?

PD

[André]

No, I watched the Met on Demand broadcast.  I enjoyed it and will look for more from Jake Heggie.

Same here. I saw that Met production last May in the cinema. Following that I purchased a couple of discs of his vocal music. I'm eyeing another one of his operas, Moby Dick.

I also saw DMW performed live in Montreal a few years ago (different performers). I have the cd (Virgin Classics) as well. I love this work to pieces. It's a magnificent story and an extraordinary vehicle for a strong mezzo.

[Wendell_E]

What does it cost these days?  And does it include access to their database archives?  And to any other things (like other videos, etc.)?

PD

I'm not sure what you mean by "database archives", but their online database is available for free to everyone: https://archives.metopera.org/MetOperaSearch/

The Met Opera on Demand costs $14.99/month or $149.99/year, or you can rent individual titles for a day.

[San Antone]

What does it cost these days?  And does it include access to their database archives?  And to any other things (like other videos, etc.)?

PD

IF I am not mistaken it is $14.99/month.  It does include video archives going back to when they began, at least the 1980s, and audio broadcasts into the 40s.  But I don't know if their archives are comprehensive.  The search feature is pretty good and I can find what I am looking for in seconds.

I also subscribe to Canegie Hall+ which has operas as well as concerts.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Thanks for the information!

PD

[nico1616]

I am trying to get into the serious Rossini operas. I knew the Sutherland/Horne Semiramide but it never really gripped me. Joan and Marilyn have great technical skills but it sounds a bit artificial. Horne sounds matrimonial and the male voices are quite weak.
The DG set is more to my taste. Larmore has a much smaller voice than Horne and Studer's pitch is not always perfect but Ramey and Lopardo more than make up for that. Moreover, Marin's conducting is more dramatic than Bonynge's. All in all a very succesful commercial recording despite the awful cover art.

[Florestan]

I am trying to get into the serious Rossini operas.

A worthwhile project. Although Rossini's genius was eminently suitable for, and at its best in, comic operas and farces, his serious operas are not too shabby for that. Please keep us updated about your findings.

I knew the Sutherland/Horne Semiramide but it never really gripped me. Joan and Marilyn have great technical skills but it sounds a bit artificial. Horne sounds matrimonial and the male voices are quite weak.
The DG set is more to my taste. Larmore has a much smaller voice than Horne and Studer's pitch is not always perfect but Ramey and Lopardo more than make up for that. Moreover, Marin's conducting is more dramatic than Bonynge's. All in all a very succesful commercial recording despite the awful cover art.

I know only bits and pieces of Semiramide. Will rectify the situation asap, all the more so as I have both recordings. I suppose Sutherland's Italian diction  is its usual self: an unmitigated disaster --- am I right?

[Roasted Swan]

A worthwhile project. Although Rossini's genius was eminently suitable for, and at its best in, comic operas and farces, his serious operas are not too shabby for that. Please keep us updated about your findings.

I know only bits and pieces of Semiramide. Will rectify the situation asap, all the more so as I have both recordings. I suppose Sutherland's Italian diction  is its usual self: an unmitigated disaster --- am I right?

Worth checking out this live performance under Zedda using his own edition.  Remarkably good and can be found dirt cheap on Amazon......

[Florestan]

Worth checking out this live performance under Zedda using his own edition.  Remarkably good and can be found dirt cheap on Amazon......

Thanks for the tip. Zedda was a reputed Rossini scholar and specialist so certainly worth investigating.