What Opera Are You Listening to Now?

[André]

That's interesting. Before I came across Tomasi's opera I knew nothing of the real Miguel de Manara.

[ritter]

First listen to the original, 2-act version of Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Apart from conductor Günter Neuhold, all the participants in this 1995 recording from Bremen are completely unknown to me...

[ritter]

It makes more sense to post this curiosity here than in the general WAYLTN thread, even if stricto sensu this is not opera, just orchestral excerpts thereof.



Conductor Antonino Votto had a book on the series "Grandi Maestri alla Scala" dedicated to him in 1999. The book contains two CDs, one with interviews and Votto at the piano (including a Bach arrangement by Busoni, of all things), and another one with wartime recordings of orchestral excerpts from Catalani's La Wally, Mascagni's Silvano, L'Amico Fritz and Guglielmo Ratcliff, Der Rosenkavalier, La Traviata, La Gioconda, and Madama Butterfly. The orchestra is that the EIAR (the precursor of RAI - Italian Radio).

Votto is remembered today mainly because he's the conductor on several of Maria Callas' studio recordings of complete operas, plus also some live ones from La Scala. But the man was a constant presence in the Milan theatre from the early 1920s —he started as an assistant to Toscanini— until the late 1960s.

He never was a star conductor in the league of, let's say, Sabata or Giulini, and neither was he one of the revered figures among the specialists in Italian opera (those would be, for instance, Serafin, Gavazzeni or Gui). Still, he was a solid presence in La Scala's pit, and presided over many an evening that has become legendary since.

The programme on the CD is most enjoyable...

[San Antone]

Madama Butterfly : Gheorghiu, Kaufmann, Pappano (2008)

[ShineyMcShineShine]

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. 

[Florestan]

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. 

Obviously, opera is not for you. Stay away from it as far as you can. 

[ShineyMcShineShine]

Obviously, opera is not for you. Stay away from it as far as you can. 

No doubt you are correct, but my tastes change with time so who knows: maybe one day I'll come to appreciate even opera. But probably I won't live that long. 

[Pohjolas Daughter]

No doubt you are correct, but my tastes change with time so who knows: maybe one day I'll come to appreciate even opera. But probably I won't live that long. 

Perhaps try some Mozart or Richard Strauss--Der Rosenkavalier is wonderful and very touching (gorgeous music and singing).  For Mozart...maybe the Magic Flute or the Marriage of Figaro.

Or Verdi might be more up your alley?  Aida or Don Carlo?

Just keep an open mind. 

PD

[André]

It always baffles me that criticism about silly plots/libretti are levelled at Verdi's operas. Wagner's own plots are on quite another level of silliness IMO. Most are tailored to flesh out medieval german, norse and celtic legends. Efforts to modernize them invariably make them even sillier. IMO they should be left to live just as Wagner conceived them: legendary tales with unreal, legendary characters. King Ludwig II of Bavaria did the right thing: recreate some of Wagner's ideas in full legendary regalia in the gardens of Linderhof Castle: Hunding's hut with the ash tree in its center, the sword, the drinking horns (Walküre), Venus' grotto (Tannhaüser), Gurnemanz' hermitage (Parsifal).

In the case of Lohengrin, the knight in a shining armor carried on the Schelde river by a swan is hard to beat in terms of giggling material. I can understand why a stage director would want to give it a different slant (like the lederhosen Lohengrin boy talking to a miniature swan).



The swan thing is the only visual element in the opera that poses problem to today's audiences. I'm sure some productions have dispensed with the big bird altogether. The rest of the setting is both conventional and highly adaptable. As for the plot: that too can be adapted and transported in a time capsule to the XXIst century. In short: to enjoy Lohengrin, one either suspends disbelief and plunges head first in Wagner's fantasy world, or closes their eyes and listens to the music. That's what we do when listening to a recording anyway !

Bychkov's is one of the better Lohengrins around. It is superbly played by the orchestra, smartly conducted, powerfully sung by the assembled choirs and beautifully sung by the two principals, Johan Botha and Adrienne Pieczonka. Ortrud is well sung by Petra Lang but I miss the volume and spite brought by singers like Astrid Varnay or Rita Gorr. Her big moment passes by without the listener feeling dread (as with Varnay) or running for cover (Gorr). The Herald and King Henry are decently sung, if without much presence. The sound is clean, wide-ranging and detailed.

[Florestan]

No doubt you are correct, but my tastes change with time so who knows: maybe one day I'll come to appreciate even opera.

Fair enough!

But probably I won't live that long. 

May you live much longer than that!

[JBS]

I was a bit surprised when I realized this is the only opera by Britten of which I have more than one performance. [The others are Britten's recording on Decca and the DVD from Glyndebourne conducted by Haitink.]
No matter. It's an opera I like.
[This is a re-issue of a Collins Classics recording done in 1996.]

[Henk79]

[ritter]

"L'amor ed il destin, combatteran' per me...". Wonderfully tongue-in-cheek... One of the (very) few works by Handel I can say I truly enjoy.

[Roasted Swan]

First listen to the original, 2-act version of Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Apart from conductor Günter Neuhold, all the participants in this 1995 recording from Bremen are completely unknown to me...

I worked with Neuhold in Italy in the mid 80's - a really good conductor.  Of course his "Ring Cycle" with the Badische Staatskapelle is well known for being high quality but with no big names.

[ritter]

I worked with Neuhold in Italy in the mid 80's - a really good conductor.  ...

Yes, I remembered that when I bought the CDs... 

Good evening, RS.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

It always baffles me that criticism about silly plots/libretti are levelled at Verdi's operas. Wagner's own plots are on quite another level of silliness IMO. Most are tailored to flesh out medieval german, norse and celtic legends. Efforts to modernize them invariably make them even sillier. IMO they should be left to live just as Wagner conceived them: legendary tales with unreal, legendary characters. King Ludwig II of Bavaria did the right thing: recreate some of Wagner's ideas in full legendary regalia in the gardens of Linderhof Castle: Hunding's hut with the ash tree in its center, the sword, the drinking horns (Walküre), Venus' grotto (Tannhaüser), Gurnemanz' hermitage (Parsifal).

In the case of Lohengrin, the knight in a shining armor carried on the Schelde river by a swan is hard to beat in terms of giggling material. I can understand why a stage director would want to give it a different slant (like the lederhosen Lohengrin boy talking to a miniature swan).



The swan thing is the only visual element in the opera that poses problem to today's audiences. I'm sure some productions have dispensed with the big bird altogether. The rest of the setting is both conventional and highly adaptable. As for the plot: that too can be adapted and transported in a time capsule to the XXIst century. In short: to enjoy Lohengrin, one either suspends disbelief and plunges head first in Wagner's fantasy world, or closes their eyes and listens to the music. That's what we do when listening to a recording anyway !

Bychkov's is one of the better Lohengrins around. It is superbly played by the orchestra, smartly conducted, powerfully sung by the assembled choirs and beautifully sung by the two principals, Johan Botha and Adrienne Pieczonka. Ortrud is well sung by Petra Lang but I miss the volume and spite brought by singers like Astrid Varnay or Rita Gorr. Her big moment passes by without the listener feeling dread (as with Varnay) or running for cover (Gorr). The Herald and King Henry are decently sung, if without much presence. The sound is clean, wide-ranging and detailed.

Bet that there's a way to adapt a swan-shaped pedal boat so that it would work on a stage.  Or you could see in the background the swan being pulled up to a dock and Lohengrin climbing out of it and stepping onto a dock? 



PD

[JBS]

Bet that there's a way to adapt a swan-shaped pedal boat so that it would work on a stage.  Or you could see in the background the swan being pulled up to a dock and Lohengrin climbing out of it and stepping onto a dock? 



PD

Or just have it set in Boston.


The Swan Boats in Boston's Public Garden are a family owned business started in 1877. According to the website, the founder was directly inspired by Lohengrin when he selected the swan design.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Or just have it set in Boston.

Great idea!

The Swan Boats in Boston's Public Garden are a family owned business started in 1877. According to the website, the founder was directly inspired by Lohengrin when he selected the swan design.

Neat!  Nice to know! 

Movie adaptation:  Lohengrin floating in a pool on one of these (or something like it)...shades on...in maybe Florida or SoCal or...? 



PD

[André]

Great idea!
Neat!  Nice to know! 

Movie adaptation:  Lohengrin floating in a pool on one of these (or something like it)...shades on...in maybe Florida or SoCal or...? 



PD

Lohengrin in a swimsuit ! 🤣

[LKB]

Lohengrin in a swimsuit ! 🤣

When l saw that image, l was unexpectedly and weirdly reminded of the end of this excerpt from Amazon Women on the Moon ( click the link ):