The best opera recordings...in the world!

Mozart's Don Giovanni has not been lucky on record - often recorded, with mostly good but not excellent results. The opera has so many layers, there are always some that are hidden from view. The story is well known, about Don Juan's womenous adventures and ultimately decent into hell. Few appreciate that the reason for his downfall isn't his promiscuous behavior (which he does not seem to be very successful at, on evidence of his encounters in the opera) or that he killed the commendatore (which was in a legitimate duel), but the fact that he violated (touched) the statue at the cemetery.

Conventional wisdom points to the early recordings from Glyndebourne (Busch), the newer recording from Glyndebourne (Haitink; excellent) or Giulini (with the starriest cast ever). My personal favorite is the studio recording Riccardo Muti made in Vienna, with the then-unknown William Shimell as a powerful Don - even more visceral than Tom Allen for Haitink or Marriner - and a strong, you could say Wagnerian, line-up of Women. Muti's Don is dark, very dark, with none of the comedy allowed to peek through - one big build-up towards the final scenes. Recorded quality is OK, but too cavernous.

EJ

I’m not sure these are the best, but they are certainly some of my favourites.

For Puccini I would choose Barbirolli conducting Madama Butterfly, Scotto & Bergonzi are superb in the act one love duet.

Is this the best recording of Tristan? I have no idea.

I have very many versions of this endlessly fascinating work, but this is probably by favourite.

For Parsifal I would chose Rafael Kubelik.

I saw Kurt Moll sing Gurnemanz at Covent Garden many years ago, he commanded the stage.

Moll owns Gurnemanz. My preferred Parsifal:

More the whole cycle, for the individual operas there are better ones...

magical

not the best reviews but my favourite.  esp the "cat and mouse" scene just before Cherubino jumps!

Actually, my favourite Rigoletto is on dvd.  Either the Covent Gdn Mcvicar or :

Whilst I'm more of a Wagnerian, this recording of La Traviata is spectacular! It's totally involving; it just draws you in.

Dear EJ,

Conventional wisdom would not be wrong to highlight the Fritz Busch Glyndebourne recording. In my time I have had several recordings of the the Don - - Busch, Haitink, Furtwngler [Salzburg 1950 with Tito Schipa, and 1954 with Cearsare Sieppi], and perhaps best of all Otto Klemperer.

In the end I found that Furtwangler was a most distracting director of this. Sometimes so very natural and involving and then the heat was turned up to the highest, and the results became bizarre, Tito Schipa is about the darkest and most dangerous Don I have heard, and I could not have imagined it this way without listening to it. Sieppi is quite the opposite. A seeming gentlemen, but obviously the character in any case provides the darkness without it necessarily needing to be underlined. 

Fritz Busch leads a splendid performance that comes in a quality of recording that will surprise those who expect that recording made before LP and tape must be poor. Most of all this is a rock solid capturing of the opera’s many facets. Never too fast or slow, and certainly the singing is beautifully supported. Recorded in Glyndebourne, the excellent acoustic assist in superb clarity and balances. 

I was none too happy with Haitink’s recording, lauded at the time of release, and to me a pale reflection of what Busch had achieved in the same house so many years earlier. 

And then the Klemperer. As it goes these mid-sixties recording session were remarkably happy in their execution, even though Klemperer was by then extremely old. It seems that things went well with a certain lightness of heart that shows in the less dark parts of the story. but be sure that the drama and terror is fully realised. Fear not that the tempi may be slow, they are not so quick as Buch over all, but faster than Busch as crucial moments. I doubt anyone made more of the overture than Klemperer in this recording. His studio recording of this overture issued on  an LP of many overtures is rather staid in comparison, but here it is full of portent, with a very unusual real doubling of the cello octave permitted by the employment of at least one five string bass, thus preserving what Mozart actually composed. 

When the Hell scene comes one sees the full architecture of Klemperer’s conception. 

This recording is so unlike what might be expected, and so powerful in its management of tension without distortions of tempo or style that one marvels at it on so many levels. but most of all it is something that is easily digested in one sitting, beginning to end.

ATB from George

Agreed! I have this version also, and it is also my preferred when I am listening to it, but then the Solti is when I am listening to that.

For Mozart, I would chose, Karl Bohm & Figaro, the act two finale is opera heaven.

+1

few good complete recordings of this, one of may favourite operas.

Don't overlook a very special recording of Zauberflöte, made by Sawallisch in München. All the soloists had often sung there together and it shows in this recording. Edda Moser is - by far - the best queen I've ever heard. Schreier, often credited for being handed the shoes but not the voice of Fritz Wunderlich, never did anything better. The other cast is at the same high level. Incidentally, here's Moll again, with vocal chords that run from throat to this small toe.

EJ

<snip> Or Schippers with Freni rather than Karajan

 

I've often looked for this 1969 recording on the legit free channels. I would hesitate taking a live performance, even a classic such as this, and propose it's for everyone. That's not to say it isn't brilliant!

EJ

Hello George, good to see you contribute to this thread. Can't have too many Don Giovannis! You'll probably remember my reaction to the Klemperer when it was discussed a few years ago - for me it is dominated by Cesare Siepi in a rather unbalanced cast.

Haitink's probably deserves a separate item. Over the years, I've compiled many notes but unfortunately, I do not have access to the original essay documenting its release as part of the original CD issue. It's not for everybody - but if you don't enjoy it, you may not like my recommendation above as they share an overall concept.

EJ

I love the atmospheric Decca/RCA Operas from the Golden Age, but they're just a bit too predictable here.  So I'm going to recommend this little known gem from Herr Mozart; Zaide.  This is a stunning disc, both in performance and recording quality. 

Here are a few more from the 20^th century;

I was fortunate to see Birgit Nilsson sing this, at Covent Garden 6^th May 1977 (I still have the programme), I remember that she sang it exactly as on the record  & even though this was towards the end of her career, she still sang with great power.

I much prefer this compared to the Peter Pears, Benjamin Britten recording.

Originally Posted by R.K:

<snip> Or Schippers with Freni rather than Karajan

 

I've often looked for this 1969 recording on the legit free channels. I would hesitate taking a live performance, even a classic such as this, and propose it's for everyone. That's not to say it isn't brilliant!

 

EJ

Hi EJ. I bought it from Amazon for not very many pounds a few years ago. Worth a gamble if you can find it. 

Luisa Miller was written as Verdi was emerging from his 'galley years' and into his mature middle period. Before Luisa, Verdi's language was somewhat interchangeable between operas; but especially the last act of Luisa has an indivduality - and a father-daughter duet - that points forward to Rigoletto.

This is a great recording - in 1980, Domingo had Otello under his belt and this benefited all his other Verdi portrayals. Ricciarelli is a girlish Luisa, a bit of an acquired taste by this stage of her career perhaps (she had such a beautiful voice in the early 70s...). Bruson as Miller is great. Maazel has done better things on record and conducts rather explicitly - but I've never found it as bad as Gramophone made it out to be.

EJ

Yes, own it.

You've pitched into my wheel house now, can't believe folks haven't listed a few of these already: