[woodsyi]

Hey!

   I'm off to see Met Opera's "L'Elisir d'Amore" tomorrow night at the Lincoln Center. This will be my third operas. It will be the last show of this opera this season. And it's feature Anna Netrebko, I've heard her name many times before and saw some short clips of her singing on TV. And that is one of the reason why I wanted to see this opera, because of her, to see and hear her live.

   I will be sitting all the way up in the Family Circle pretty much in the middle. I've heard and read that up there is best for sound, but far for a good view. Well, I'm OK with that for best sound... not that I could afford mid orchestra roll anyway 

Take care,
Buddy

How was Anna as Adina?  I bet she looked good!    This role is easily in her wheelhouse and she should have sounded good too.  BTW,  Family Circle is why they made opera glasses.     I would rather be center Family Circle than side orchestra.  How is Raymond Vargas' voice holding up? I love a good "Una furtiva lagrima."

The last L'Elisir d'Amore I saw was at La Scala with Joyce DiDonato and Juan Diego Flórez.  It was a great experience. 

[woodsyi]

This is an opera I was able to attend on a trip to London.  Austere by any standards, but this recording will involve you (at a modest volume level, ime, for an ambient stage and realistic location and size of the piano and singers) . . Britton's Turn of the Screw (Naxos).  I think Naxos is a budget label.  Sounds very transparent and believable to me, regardless.

I know your love for Britton.  I did send you a copy of the War Requiem, didn't I?

I recently went through all my opera records and pulled out duplicates -- 20 or so boxed sets and about 100 singles.  There are some good pristine LPs.  You can have them if you pay shipping.

[Photon46]

Recently took a trip to the enormous record store Bananas in St. Petersburg Fl. and spent a few hours scrounging through their neglected classical lps back in their storage area and found a nearly mint copy of Bernard Herrmann's "Wuthering Heights" opera. I wasn't familiar with it, but I like Bernard Herrmann's film music so I spent the $7.99 and was rewarded with a very fine opera. Most entertaining. This was a project very dear to Bernard, I understand he paid to record the opera out of his own pocket after being unable to secure underwriting by a recording company.

[SET Man]

How was Anna as Adina?  I bet she looked good!    This role is easily in her wheelhouse and she should have sounded good too.  BTW,  Family Circle is why they made opera glasses.     I would rather be center Family Circle than side orchestra.  How is Raymond Vargas' voice holding up? I love a good "Una furtiva lagrima."

The last L'Elisir d'Amore I saw was at La Scala with Joyce DiDonato and Juan Diego Flórez.  It was a great experience.

Hey!



    It was great! I really enjoyed it from start to finish. Yes, I sat all the way up there in the Family Circle....


Metropolitan Opera, NYC. by setpower1, on Flickr

    A bit far away but the sound was good up there. That the view from my seat taken before the show start.


    I've heard about Anna but never see her live. And I have to say she was wonderful as Adina. Yes, Anna is pretty and with great voice for sure. 

     I've never heard other sing this but Ramon Vargas as Nemorino did a great job with "Una furtiva lagrima" You can hear the hall turned silence when that aria start. And I can tell that the crowd loved it.


"L'Elisir d' Amore" at Metropolitan Opera, NYC. by setpower1, on Flickr

    No I didn't take any picture during the performance of which was not allow to my understanding and I sat far away and only have my old P&S camera with mebut got the one above when the cast did the last curtain call.

   Anyway, it was wonderful overall. The casts was excellent, the sets and lighting were beautifully done. I really enjoyed it.

Take care,
Buddy

[rockadanny]

1954 recording on DG. Rita Streich's voice is utterly amazing! Very nice audio quality - clean and clear.

[rockadanny]

Recorded 1953

[rockadanny]

Not an opera, but opera (and other) songs sung by an opera singer. Very enjoyable! 

[Kenneth Patchen]

Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites, Sunday at the Eastman School of Music. Performed by voice students at Eastman, this production was excellent and the singing magnificent. Full marks for the Eastman students. Bravo!

[woodsyi]

I am not surprised.  Eastman is a very good school.

[woodsyi]

I am taking my daughter to Magic Flute on Saturday.  I try to refresh my memory by listening to a few recordings before going to the performance. 

This 1964 Bohm is really good.  I forgot how good this one is.  The Berliner orchestra under the baton of Karl Bohm really produced the most incisive music.  Add the fantastic male singers and this one is a must hear.  Lear and Peters are passable Pamina and the Queen of the Night.  Lear's singing seemed diffused compared to the males and the orchestra which are focused.  For me, Peter's voice was not enjoyable in itself but she does come across as evil.  So in that sense, she may have been a perfect Queen.  Any way, they knew how to make a stereo recording in 1964.   

BTW,  my daugher dressed as Papagena on Halloween last year.  She and I spent a couple of days sewing and gluing feathers on a Tutu and it actually turned out quite nicely.

[Kenneth Patchen]

What, woodsyi? No attached photos of Papagena??

Thanks for the review of Die Zauberflote ... I have that recording and now the incentive to listen again.

[rockadanny]

An excellent re-mastering of baritone Titta Ruffo's 1907-1926 recordings. Surprisingly clean, clear, consistent voice (considering such early recordings and transfer from 78s), although most all accompaniments are fairly muffled.
Note - his birth name was Ruffo Titta, but he reveresed it for the stage. I don't see the point.

[rockadanny]

Last night I listened to Das Rheingold from this 17-disc set, Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen (Super Deluxe) [Deluxe Edition]:



Astonishing audio quality and superb liberetto and accompanying documentation.

[rockadanny]

Currently listening to:



This is on Naxos and picked it for a nice price, but NO LIBERETTO!! Argh!!!

[jimdgoulding]

It's glorious music for sure.  I am not familiar with the recording though.  How is it?

Tosca with Di Stefano and Callas with The La Scala Orchestra and Chorus on Angel on the table tonite.

[rockadanny]

OK, so I went overboard on my latest obsession, Cecilia Bartoli. Just received these in the mail. Not operas, but songs from operas and various compositions. Just amazing to me how cheaply these CDs can be purchased.

[Kenneth Patchen]

Performers: Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Nicolai Gedda, Victoria De Los Angeles

Listening to this on vinyl and even though Gedda and Schwarzkopf have top billing, to my ears De Los Angeles steals the show. Stunning.

[rockadanny]

Puccini - Tosca - Maria Callas (2 discs)

[OldNick]

Just heard Philip Glass' 'Akhnaten' from the met.  Mind blowing.