What Opera Are You Listening to Now?

[Florestan]

It's an unfortunate acronym, but I fear I'll always think of it in the future. 

Hah! I didn't even notice.

[ritter]

Cross-posted form the relevant composer thread:

Today we commemorate 100 years of the passing of Giacomo Puccini in Brussels, on November 29th, 1924.

Listening to Act I of this classic performance of Turandot , form La Scala in 1964, with Birgit Nilsson, Franco Corelli and Galina Vishnesvskaya, conducted by Gianandrea Gavazzeni.

Gavazzeni, apart from being an operatic conductor of the first rank, was also a very fine writer on musical matters. His essays on Puccini have been collected by his grandson Giovanni Gavazzeni in this book that has just been released in Italy:



Some of the essays were already available in previously published books, but others are occasional texts that had not been collected until now. I've already received my copy, and look forward to at least browse it this weekend.


 

[ritter]

Closing this commemorative day with a historic (1949) recording of Puccini's Gianni Schicchi (a perfect little comedy), with Giuseppe Taddei in the title rôle and the forces of Italian Radio under Alfredo Simonetto.



The perfect ending to a long and exhausting but ultimately successful day of work...

[Tsaraslondon]

Another bargain from Discogs.

I've never much liked Elektra, but I actually enjoyed this. It seemed much less overwrought than the Solti and Marton, a singer I don't normally like, acquits herself really well. Great performances all round actually and the playing of the Bavarian orchestra under Sawallisch is excellent. Great sound too.

[Iota]

Caught a bit of a programme on the radio the other day, where the always engaging/informative Donald Macleod was reviewing Puccini's life and works, and I realised I'd never heard the whole of Madame Butterfly, not even close. To be honest I'm mainly familiar with highlights of Puccini's canon, although I got to know Tosca a bit and have seen it, Bohème and Il Trittico live. And although I always liked what I heard, I felt it was perhaps a bit too brow-mopping for sustained listening for me.
Anyway, I felt the time was right to dive into Butterfly properly to see what I might find, and to my surprise I was bowled over by it, not finding any of the mawkishness I thought I might. I felt like I was on a small boat at sea going up with every wave and down into every trough, carried along with it and absolutely enjoying every single moment of its wonderfully melodic and impassioned outpouring. Absolutely irresistible, I feel hooked.
I have no recording to compare it with, but Scotto, Bergonzi and Barbirolli all seemed truly sensational to me, and I'll be returning for a repeat listen soon. I know many on here will have known MB well for much their lives, but coming on it like this, even so late, has been one of the best moments of my recent listening experience.

[JBS]

Corigliano/Adamo's mashup of Euripides and Stoker. Currently on Act 1, Scene 2. The Prologue, dominated by Dionysius/Dracula and the "Odd Sisters",  is much more atonal and (I think) microtonal than usual with Corigliano, Scene 1 and (so far) Scene 2 less so.

ETA
Currently in the middle of Act 2. Although Anthony Roth Costanzo sings the title role, the main roles are actually Kathryn Henry as Lucy Westerna Harker (a combo of Stoker's Lucy and Minna) and Jarrett Ott as Seward (corresponding to Pentheus in Euripides). Euripides' ending is switched: Seward/Pentheus, made insane by Dionysius and the Odd Sisters, is the killer, not the killed; Lucy is his victim.

Overall this opera is worth hearing at least once.

[André]

Caught a bit of a programme on the radio the other day, where the always engaging/informative Donald Macleod was reviewing Puccini's life and works, and I realised I'd never heard the whole of Madame Butterfly, not even close. To be honest I'm mainly familiar with highlights of Puccini's canon, although I got to know Tosca a bit and have seen it, Bohème and Il Trittico live. And although I always liked what I heard, I felt it was perhaps a bit too brow-mopping for sustained listening for me.
Anyway, I felt the time was right to dive into Butterfly properly to see what I might find, and to my surprise I was bowled over by it, not finding any of the mawkishness I thought I might. I felt like I was on a small boat at sea going up with every wave and down into every trough, carried along with it and absolutely enjoying every single moment of its wonderfully melodic and impassioned outpouring. Absolutely irresistible, I feel hooked.
I have no recording to compare it with, but Scotto, Bergonzi and Barbirolli all seemed truly sensational to me, and I'll be returning for a repeat listen soon. I know many on here will have known MB well for much their lives, but coming on it like this, even so late, has been one of the best moments of my recent listening experience.

An epiphany...🤩.

I've seen MB live at the Met, but it was an okay performance, whereas most good recorded performances allow the listener to take in a maximum of music and emotion (thanks to side/cd breaks and pauses).

Mirella Freni used to say that MB was a killer, not because of the music, but because the singer was likely to choke emotionally while singing it. She recorded it twice (magnificently), but never performed it on stage.

[Tsaraslondon]

Caught a bit of a programme on the radio the other day, where the always engaging/informative Donald Macleod was reviewing Puccini's life and works, and I realised I'd never heard the whole of Madame Butterfly, not even close. To be honest I'm mainly familiar with highlights of Puccini's canon, although I got to know Tosca a bit and have seen it, Bohème and Il Trittico live. And although I always liked what I heard, I felt it was perhaps a bit too brow-mopping for sustained listening for me.
Anyway, I felt the time was right to dive into Butterfly properly to see what I might find, and to my surprise I was bowled over by it, not finding any of the mawkishness I thought I might. I felt like I was on a small boat at sea going up with every wave and down into every trough, carried along with it and absolutely enjoying every single moment of its wonderfully melodic and impassioned outpouring. Absolutely irresistible, I feel hooked.
I have no recording to compare it with, but Scotto, Bergonzi and Barbirolli all seemed truly sensational to me, and I'll be returning for a repeat listen soon. I know many on here will have known MB well for much their lives, but coming on it like this, even so late, has been one of the best moments of my recent listening experience.

That's one of my three favourite recordings of Butterfly, the others being Callas/Karajan and De Los Angeles/Gavazzeni, though they are both in mono sound. It seems to me that they capture more of the tragedy in the piece than the admittedly more lush sounding Freni/Karajan.

[Iota]

An epiphany...🤩.

It indeed was. And fwiw, also a tiny personal contribution to proof that celebrating artist anniversaries/deaths etc are worthwhile, as if it hadn't been for this Puccini centennial, the radio programme I listened to probably wouldn't have been on, and I wouldn't have been inspired to take a listen, etc, etc.

Mirella Freni used to say that MB was a killer, not because of the music, but because the singer was likely to choke emotionally while singing it. She recorded it twice (magnificently), but never performed it on stage.

I can believe that. When I got to Butterfly's final scene, I felt I was moved mostly by the 'dramatic' intensity of the moment, more so than by the music, which Puccini seems to strip bare of the richness which has been its lifeforce until this point, and had been by far its biggest pull (along with the gorgeous singing!). Of course both work in tandem, but in terms of recordings (as opposed to live performance) the balance between the two seemed weighted towards the acting more than I'd experienced before (with the possible exception of Teresa Stratas' Jack the Ripper scream in the Lulu recording .. )

[André]

It indeed was. And fwiw, also a tiny personal contribution to proof that celebrating artist anniversaries/deaths etc are worthwhile, as if it hadn't been for this Puccini centennial, the radio programme I listened to probably wouldn't have been on, and I wouldn't have been inspired to take a listen, etc, etc.

I can believe that. When I got to Butterfly's final scene, I felt I was moved mostly by the 'dramatic' intensity of the moment, more so than by the music, which Puccini seems to strip bare of the richness which has been its lifeforce until this point, and had been by far its biggest pull (along with the gorgeous singing!). Of course both work in tandem, but in terms of recordings (as opposed to live performance) the balance between the two seemed weighted towards the acting more than I'd experienced before (with the possible exception of Teresa Stratas' Jack the Ripper scream in the Lulu recording .. )

+1 to this very perceptive comment.

[André]

That's one of my three favourite recordings of Butterfly, the others being Callas/Karajan and De Los Angeles/Gavazzeni, though they are both in mono sound. It seems to me that they capture more of the tragedy in the piece than the admittedly more lush sounding Freni/Karajan.

I prefer Freni's second recording on DGG to the plush Decca effort from earlier in her career. Her voice may have lost some freshness, but she concentrates more on the drama than on the sound. And Sinopoli's handling of the score is quite stunning.

I'm contemplating buying a 1961 live performance with Sena Jurinac on Orfeo. The excerpts I listened to were really enticing (and in very good sound to boot).

[André]

Driving for errands, caught the Met's broadcast of ... what ? The audio system only advertised it as 'Saturday Afternoon at the Opera'. Beautiful stuff. Was sure it was Schreker. Heard the lines 'Falke ! Mein Falke ! sung by a tenor. I almost ran through the red ! Back home I found out I had been listening to the Met's transmission of Strauss' Frau Ohne Schatten, an opera I have (Sinopoli Teldec) but am not familiar with. Life is beautiful.

[Mapman]

Barber: Vanessa

I'm impressed by the music, but not as much by the plot. My favorite part was "Must the winter come so soon?".

[Roasted Swan]

A Seasonal offering - and one found yesterday in a Charity Shop for £1;



This is something of a delight; sung in crystal clear English (albeit with a slightly period 'nice' pronunciation - well it was recorded about 60 years ago!).  The actual singing is top drawer (Rita Hunter and Raimund Herincx would soon feature in the Goodall/Sadler's Wells Ring) sonics remarkably good - a little too much added reverb and multi-miking quite pronounced but all-round this is a very well made, enjoyable performance.  As often is the case I found myself thinking it really does sound like the children's opera Wagner never wrote.....

[Kalevala]

A Seasonal offering - and one found yesterday in a Charity Shop for £1;



This is something of a delight; sung in crystal clear English (albeit with a slightly period 'nice' pronunciation - well it was recorded about 60 years ago!).  The actual singing is top drawer (Rita Hunter and Raimund Herincx would soon feature in the Goodall/Sadler's Wells Ring) sonics remarkably good - a little too much added reverb and multi-miking quite pronounced but all-round this is a very well made, enjoyable performance.  As often is the case I found myself thinking it really does sound like the children's opera Wagner never wrote.....

Glad that you have been enjoying it!  I don't know that performance, but have heard it in a German one.  It's a magical opera. 

K

[ritter]

I've been revisiting (with great pleasure) W.H. Auden's work as of late, and thought I would give Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress another try. This time, I pulled out the first commercial recording, which is in the big Stravinsky Columbia set, and I believe I've never listened to.



The composer conducts the forces of the Metropolitan Opera, and Eugene Conley, Hilde Gueden, Blanche Thebom and Mack Harrell are among the soloists.

The libretto may well be a clever theatrical tour de force, but I still think that The Rake is a low point in its composer's output, and rather uninspired (and insipid). I enjoyed it a bit more in live performance (here in Madrid 15 years ago, conducted by Christopher Hogwood and staged by Robert Lepage), but on record it once again bores me to tears... 

[Wendell_E]

I've been revisiting (with great pleasure) W.H. Auden's work as of late, and thought I would give Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress another try....

The libretto may well be a clever theatrical tour de force, but I still think that The Rake is a low point in its composer's output, and rather uninspired (and insipid).

I absolutely hated it on first hearing (Stravinsky's stereo remake), but it's now one of my favorites.

[ritter]

Act II of Tristan und Isolde, in this 1971 live recording from La Fenice in Venice, conducted by Kurt Masur, and with Hermin Esser and Gunilla af Malmborg in the leads, and Grace Hofmann as Brangäne.



One usually doesn't associate Masur with the operatic repertoire (as his most important positions were with the Leipzig Gewandhaus and the New York Philharmonic), but he started out his career as musical director of provincial (East) German opera houses. Late in life he recordad excerpts of Tristan with Jessye Norman, which I found terribly boring, but here he does a rather impressive job (with an orchestra which is certainly not the pinnacle of finesse, and what we can only call a "B list cast"). Gunilla af Malmborg (great name!) is virtually forgotten today (and AFAIK was not that well known in her day either), but she is a strong Isolde. Esser did supporting roles in Bayreuth, and here gets the opportunity to tackle one of the summits of the repertoire. He is unfortunately drowned by the orchestra and by Malmborg.  The sound is poor, but tolerable , and there are several cuts to the score —this is more a "halbe Stunde der Liebe" than a "Nacht der Liebe"  ).

[Vox Maris]

I listened to this opera last week or so:

Schreker
Das Spielwerk und die Prinzessin
Thomas J. Mayer, Julia Henning, Hans-Juergen Schoepflin, Matthias Klein, Anne-Carolyn Schlueter, Hans Georg Ahrens, Bernd Gebhardt
Kiel Opera Choruses, Kiel Philharmonic Orchestra
Ulrich Windfuhr



It's completely bonkers like many other Schreker operas, but I enjoyed it immensely.

[André]

John, did you listen to Die Gezeichneten ? I have it on DVD (with the superb Anne Schwanewilms). A magnificent work in a truly great performance.