I really surprised myself and took to Lady Macbeth. Of course Shostakovich continues to surprising and more accessible to me than I ever would have expected.
I particularly enjoyed the through-composed aspect of the opera (thanks Wagner, :tiphat and the fact that Shostakovich was able to convey great dramatic tension without sacrificing melody.
Where next? I must say that while the other elements are important, beauty in the music is very important to me, I do need a melody. Any suggestions?
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A 'melodic' Lady Macbeth, huh?-- well how about the gris eminence of La Scala one and not the Mtsensk one? Ha. Ha. Ha. . . I love this performance (if not the recording quality) of the opera-- which I've been listening to as of late. I like De Sabata's contours and just have the open mouth of ignorant wonder over Callas' unrivaled psychological grasp of the role.
It just so happens that the most recent modern opera I really enjoyed was also based on Macbeth: Salvatore Sciarrino's "Macbeth: Three nameless acts." Fabulous uses of Mozart and Verdi in the 2nd act.
I'll be giving it another listen before too long.
*p.s.* Just saw the "melody" requirement, so I'm not sure this counts--though Sciarrino borrows some great ones!
By modern I take it to mean works contemporaneous with Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and newer, so I wonder if you've ever listened to any Britten? Peter Grimes perhaps? Though Britten is often criticized for not being a great melodist, he is a supreme tone painter and creates beautiful orchestral textures. Not to say an opera like Peter Grimes doesn't have tunes, it most certainly does, and some good ones.
Then there's Porgy and Bess by Gershwin, which if you want melodies will assuredly be a winner. Oh, and maybe Prokofiev's War and Peace?
By this definition I would suggest Respighi's La fiamma and Porrino's I Shardana.
Not exactly "modern" but with a few great melodies.
I'd also throw in Dallapiccola's Il Prigioniero and Volo di notte but I'm not sure if you'll like the blend between "dodecaphony" and the more italian sense for melody.
I just finished watching an utterly brilliant, harrowing, compelling, fantastically sung and inspiringly staged version of Dialogues des Carmélites from Paris. It is available free on Arte TV: click here
Here is the cast:
Sophie Koch, Patricia Petibon, Véronique Gens, Sandrine Piau, Rosalind Plowright, Topi Lehtipuu, Philippe Rouillon, Annie Vavrille, Sophie Pondjiclis, François Piolino, Jérémy Duffau, Yuri Kissin, Matthieu Lécroart,
Conductor: Jérémie Rhorer, Philharmonia Orchestra, Chœur du Théâtre des Champs-Elysées
Director : Olivier Py
Sets : Pierre-André Weitz, Bertrand Killy
I feel like becoming world dictator so I can pass an edict forcing people to watch it, it's so good.
I would agree with all the recommendations here, especially Wozzeck, Peleas et Melissande, and War and Peace, most of all, War and Peace. One that seems more along the lines of Lady Macbeth is the harrowing, but strangely beautiful Fiery Angel.
I know there are others available, but don't feel very motivated to listen to them, beyond some fragments by Inge Borkh. In fact, the orchestral parts were the most appealing for me in this piece.
The title of Poulenc's Les Dialogues Des Carmelites sounded bland to me so I didn't give it much thought.....until it keeps popping up everywhere I look! So I checked out the synopsis today, and wow, how utterly moving! I will be getting this and soon to try. After all, I have a "habit" of enjoying operas about nuns
The origin of the opera is a novella by Gertrude von Le Fort (de la Force ), with the title of Die Letzte am Schafott (The Last on the Scaffold). It was the great French writer George Bernanos who chose the name of Dialogues for the play he wrote based on the novella (the play was a much rounder piece than the novella), and Poulenc kept this title for the opera.
it's still better than the original. That one sounds like the title of a B-movie. The second one is just too precious. I always imagined a bunch of bored nuns, chain smoking and discussing how life's disappointments have driven them into Jesus' arms.
Philip Glass: Satyagraha (sung in Sanskrit) and Akhnaten (sung in Ancient Egyptian)
Akhnaten: & (which is TREMENDOUS - one of the most overwhelming torrents of pure SOUND in music, alongside the Berlioz Requiem)
Satyagraha:
I'd second Britten. Billy Budd and A Midsummer Night's Dream are both terrific operas. Billy Budd is powerful and well characterised, and has a great ensemble ("This is our moment..."), and Dream is magic.
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