More opera questions

Hi Todd, you must have some extended collection from all your postings on here. I recently heard Shostokovich's Lady McBeth from Mtinsk at LA Opera and it is really engaging and fun at times. Woman tries to murder her way out of a loveless marriage. So much fun! sexy and bawdy at times. It was the Kirov Opera putting it on and Lady M. had an incredible voice.

I just picked up Verdi's Nabucco dir. by Lamberto Gardelli on Decca with a cast I do not recognise but it was recomended by the staff on a display. Listened to it laying on the floor that night and my ears were really pleased with the dynamics. Made my system sound really incredible. Recorded in Germany on the outer wrap and they did a wonderful job.

Britten's Peter Grimes with Philip Langridge on Chandos is really great and good recording. One of my favorites with the Sea Interludes. and he is considered the leading Britten interpreter today.

Szymanowski King Roger on EMI dir. Simon Rattle is truly amazing too by the Birmingham Sym. chorus and Orchestra. This was composed in the teens I think and has a really magical sound and mystical theme.

Of course I'm going ot also advise on John Adams' Death of Klinghoffer, set in our time about the Achille Lauro affiar inthe Mediteranean. by the second CD two choral works Desert and Day Choruses and the aria of the Falling body (Gymnopedia) are truly etherial spelling the tension before and after. Wonderful stuff!

Well those are my suggestions. Have fun listening.

Glenn

Todd, - after previous postings, I'm as surprised as you that you liked the Berlioz & Weber. Berlioz possibly, but all those cheery peasants round the village pump? Anyway, if that was to your taste, then might I suggest a little dalliance with Lucia de Lammermoor? Bound to be a copy in the library, and if as I'm guessing, it's the acetic end of romanticism before the kitchen sink got thrown in that appeals, she might do you very nicely. Beautiful but not obvious melodies, and [for Donizetti] a moderately sensible plot.

I must second Wolf's [Wolf? Glenn? just how spooky is that?] ravings for Death of Klinghoffer. I was lent a copy this w/e, and cannot praise it highly enough. Far better [at least on record] than Nixon in China [although the recording of that is a bit shouty and does not quite do it justice]. Performances at the Barbican next year, apparently. I'll be there... Oddly it's on Elektra rather than Nonesuch - strange bedfellow for Iggy & the boys. You really should get it.

Versions - I got to know Salome & Elektra via the Decca recordings, and consequently they are the ones I really love. As Salome is one of my top three faves, I bought the Sinopoli as well for a bit of a change, but although the sound is more modern, for me it doesn't have the essential fetid quality of the Solti. Birgit doing her pieces is also worth the price of admission. Still, if that doesn't suit, then it's got to be the Sinopoli. I suppose the same goes for Elektra, but for the life of me I can't see what there is to object to with Solti, except maybe the price. Incidentally, I think you should approach the rest of the Strauss canon with caution, if at all, though given the Berlioz & Weber shocks, maybe it'll be big bosoms & burnt babies by Christmas.

I bought my Berlioz in the bumper cheapo box of 70's Davis complete operas. An indisputable bargain, but no libretto, and for me that's a big drawback. Incidentally, is there some helpful website somewhere with libretti & translations of core operas? If there isn't, there should be. I tend to like Berlioz more in theory than in practice, although maybe this Autum's ENO performances of Les Troyens will change my mind. Set in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles apparently. Nice.

throb

My recommendation for this would be Christoph von Dohnányi/Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Catherine Malfitano and Bryn Terfel. Saw an almost identical cast (although the VPO failed to turn up) to this set at the ROH a couple of years ago. It was absolutely stunning.

David

Hi Todd,

why don't you check whether the library has copies of Janacek's Jenufa, and other operas. And Dvorak's Rusalka. These are composers you're pretty fond of, aren't you, and these works are bound to open up new vistas for you.

BTW the Kubelik Brahms turns out to be solidly good.

Herman

First, I, too was surprised that I liked Weber and Berlioz, but that just shows me that I should indeed be open to any number of operas. Except Italian operas. It is the Italian operas that I do not like, so I have reservations about even borrowing Donizetti. I recently tried Verdi's Otello and had to force myself to listen to it all. I've heard various other "i's" on the radio over the years and that is what convinced me I disliked opera. (I don't think I should tell my Italian descended wife that I don't like Italian opera, though.)

I will also say that of the about 30 operas I've listened to in the last couple of months I've managed to hear Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth, a trio by Britten - Peter Grimes and The Turn of the Screw (both conducted by Britten), and Gloriana under Mackerras (stunning, audiophile sound) - as well as both the Dvorak and Jancek titles suggested which I enjoyed greatly (Janacek is clearly one of the great opera composers), not to mention Smetana's The Bartered Bride, which I really enjoyed. Actually, I enjoyed all of the works listed quite a bit. I'm trying to forget the ones I did not like. So, I have exposed myself to a wide variety of works, and I do at least listen to the suggestions. As an aside, both the Dvorak and Smetana works were the early digital sets on Supraphon, and I must say that Gabriela Benáckova is one of the most beautiful sounding sopranos I've yet heard. I urge all to listen to her sing.

As for Strauss, and opera generally, I just don't favor Solti. It's not that's he bad, it's just that I think others are better and so I look elsewhere. Take Schoenberg's Moses und Aron, which I first heard under the cranky Hungarian's baton: the work was clearly outstanding, but the casting was not so hot and the conducting tended to emphasize the angular, "difficult" nature of the work. It was somewhat of a challenge to sit through Act 1, though not Act 2. Pierre Boulez, on the other hand, in his earlier 1974 recording, pretty much seems to own this piece, with every facet of the score perfectly realized and some actually attractive music showing its face. Only the less than perfectly clear singing detracts, though not enough to care.

It looks like Sinopoli is the way to go for Strauss, though I did decide to buy the cheap Sawallisch Elektra for grins along with a cheap Sawallisch Die Frau Ohne Schatten just for good measure.

It looks like it back to the three operas I have sitting in a "to listen to" pile and then I just have to wait for the five I bought to arrive in the mail. Damn expensive, time consuming, addictive opera!

[This message was edited by Todd Arola on WEDNESDAY 06 November 2002 at 21:32.]

I managed to hunt down a used copy of Sinopoli's recording of Salome. Now this is the version for me! Better sound; better Salome; better Herod (especially when he has to react with disgust at the end). Outstanding!

Let me second the reco for Janacek's Jenufa. I don't know the recordings, but it's a gripping work.

Another great piece of 20th c. opera is Berio's Un Re in Ascolta.

Isn't Turandot 20th c? If so, try Leinsdorf, Nilsson, Bjoerling - better than the Nilsson w/ Corelli. A lot of people recommend Mehta - but I still like the first one I mentioned best.

I'd like to see all of these again.