What Opera Are You Listening to Now?

[Iota]

The only VW opera I've seen live (ROH) and I enjoyed it a lot more than I was expecting to.

[JBS]

The only VW opera I've seen live (ROH) and I enjoyed it a lot more than I was expecting to.

It's interesting to compare it with Verdi. Far more of the original play (meaning characters and incidents), far less of Henry IV, and of course using Shakespeare's language with no need to translate,  in the RVW. And so much of RVW's music  is folksong-based.

My copy is part of the Warner New Collection. The images for the CD jackets are a bit of a mismatch.




William Logsdail The Ninth of November 1888 (the Lord Mayor's Procession)

JHF Bacon The Relief of Ladysmith

[Papy Oli]

First listen

Berg
Wozzeck
Act I
Boulez

[Florestan]

The other day listened to the 1st act of this:



This the very first opera Rossini ever wrote and the exact authorship of its numbers is still disputed, although that the overture is not by him is an established fact, that I could've established myself. Given that the only thing that made me sit up and listen so far was a love duet, I'd say it's most certainly Rossini's.

Worth a try as a historical curiosity, but I doubt I'll ever listen to it again.

[ritter]

The other day listened to the 1st act of this:



...Given that the only thing that made me sit up and listen so far was a love duet, I'd say it's most certainly Rossini's.

Some people would say it's most certainly Meyerbeer's... 

Good evening, Andrei.

[Florestan]

Some people would say it's most certainly Meyerbeer's... 

Hah! Touché!

No, really, very good one. Bravo!

Btw, did you know that Meyerbeer was one of the pall-bearers at Chopin's funerals?

Good evening, Andrei.

Good evening, my friend.

[Papy Oli]

Wozzeck

Boulez Act II

[Lisztianwagner]

Leoš Janáček
From the House of the Dead

Charles Mackerras & Wiener Philharmoniker

[Iota]

Mozart: Die Zauberflöte, Act I,
Gueden, Lipp, Simoneau, Vienna State Opera Chorus and Orchestra, Böhm (1955)


First time listening to this recording. I chose Böhm over other recommended ones, as he was responsible for probably the best live opera experience I've ever had (Cosi, ROH, early 80's) and so far expectations are more than satisfied. It seems amazing sound for 1955, great singers, and Böhm has this lightness and energy that I find so beguiling. And oh the music ...!   

[ritter]

Mozart: Die Zauberflöte, Act I,
Gueden, Lipp, Simoneau, Vienna State Opera Chorus and Orchestra, Böhm (1955)


First time listening to this recording. I chose Böhm over other recommended ones, as he was responsible for probably the best live opera experience I've ever had (Cosi, ROH, early 80's) and so far expectations are more than satisfied. It seems amazing sound for 1955, great singers, and Böhm has this lightness and energy that I find so beguiling. And oh the music ...!   

Nice!

My father saw Böhm conduct Così at Covent Garden in 1979. Might have been the same performance you attended...

[Iota]

Nice!

My father saw Böhm conduct Così at Covent Garden in 1979. Might have been the same performance you attended...

I have a bad memory for dates I'm afraid, so I can't say. But I hope he enjoyed it half as much as I did. Böhm was pretty old by then and was seated throughout as I remember, but his music-making was so light on its feet and imbued with such youthful energy and tenderness, really a sublime experience.

[Lisztianwagner]

Leoš Janáček
Kát'a Kabanová

Charles Mackerras & Wiener Philharmoniker

[André]

An operetta (musical numbers only, no dialogue) :



Authentic operetta style came naturally to the French until the 1960s, after which it became bastardized with a strain of seriousness that would have baffled their composers. The difference is in the conception as an ensemble work where spirit and humor reign, verbal acuity and clear diction naturally  fitting the rythms. Clear, light voices were naturally suited to those requirements. Over time it became a vehicle for more opulent voices, the accent shifting toward vocal production. Big voices (Crespin, Lott, Norman) require more time for sound production to be optimal. Rythms become less springy, less pointed. Internationalist casting compounded the problem as singers had to work to enunciate properly.

This digest of Offenbach's frothy olympian spoof is right on the money. Rosenthal is an old hand at the genre, the unnamed orchestra and chorus obviously relish the rythms and tunes thrown at them and the whole cast is up to the task. Mezzo Jane Rhodes is the biggest name and the biggest voice here. Her Hélène is both sensuous and perky, the voice managing the big leaps and vocal outpourings effortlessly. Only the Oreste of Andrine Forli disappoints.

In excellent 1965 stereo, this is a superb intro to Offenbach operetta if one does not want to go for full recordings, not many of which are either available or without reservations anyway.

[Iota]

An operetta (musical numbers only, no dialogue) :



Authentic operetta style came naturally to the French until the 1960s, after which it became bastardized with a strain of seriousness that would have baffled their composers. The difference is in the conception as an ensemble work where spirit and humor reign, verbal acuity and clear diction naturally  fitting the rythms. Clear, light voices were naturally suited to those requirements. Over time it became a vehicle for more opulent voices, the accent shifting toward vocal production. Big voices (Crespin, Lott, Norman) require more time for sound production to be optimal. Rythms become less springy, less pointed. Internationalist casting compounded the problem as singers had to work to enunciate properly.

This digest of Offenbach's frothy olympian spoof is right on the money. Rosenthal is an old hand at the genre, the unnamed orchestra and chorus obviously relish the rythms and tunes thrown at them and the whole cast is up to the task. Mezzo Jane Rhodes is the biggest name and the biggest voice here. Her Hélène is both sensuous and perky, the voice managing the big leaps and vocal outpourings effortlessly. Only the Oreste of Andrine Forli disappoints.

In excellent 1965 stereo, this is a superb intro to Offenbach operetta if one does not want to go for full recordings, not many of which are either available or without reservations anyway.

Very interesting!

The last time I heard La belle Hélène was when we put on a production at school (about 50 years ago  ), and all I can remember of it was liking it, it was a lot of fun to do and we actually got great reviews in the local paper (the critic was probably plied with free wine before the performance, or owed the music master a favour ..). But your post has made me keen to revisit it after all this time. I'll try to track down the Rosenthal recording somewhere on streaming, but if not another recording will have to do.

[JBS]

Very interesting!

The last time I heard La belle Hélène was when we put on a production at school (about 50 years ago  ), and all I can remember of it was liking it, it was a lot of fun to do and we actually got great reviews in the local paper (the critic was probably plied with free wine before the performance, or owed the music master a favour ..). But your post has made me keen to revisit it after all this time. I'll try to track down the Rosenthal recording somewhere on streaming, but if not another recording will have to do.

To complicate matters, La Belle Helene is one of the operettas Offenbach revised and expanded for later productions.  The Warner Offenbach box I have includes these two, one in French and one in German. One is the original, the other the revised, but atm I can't remember which is which.

[Florestan]

To complicate matters, La Belle Helene is one of the operettas Offenbach revised and expanded for later productions.

That's Orphée aux enfers, actually. 

[JBS]

That's Orphée aux enfers, actually. 

Orphee was not the only one. I'll have to dig out that set and figure out what's what.

[Florestan]

Orphee was not the only one.

Yes but AFAIK La belle Helene had only one version, no revisions and expansions. I might be wrong, though. Keep us informed about your findings in the Warner set.

[Florestan]

Act I

At almost 2 hrs it's too long but its finale is magnificent.

[ritter]

Act I

At almost 2 hrs it's too long but its finale is magnificent.

Indeed. And in typical Rossini fashion, that finale is a rehash of the final rondò of La donna del lago, premiered just two months before Bianca e Falliero (the former in Naples, the later in Milan --that's why Rossini could get away with it  -- ).

EDIT: I meant the finale of the opera, not of Act I. Apologies for the confusion.