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Arias from – La Semiramide riconosciuta; Ezio; La clemenza di Tito; Antigono; Telemaco; Il re pastore; L’ivrogne corrigé; Orfeo ed Euridice; Alceste; Paride ed Elena; Iphigénie en Aulide; Paride ed Elena

Recorded 20 January 2010 at Wigmore Hall, London

 

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Just finished listening to this and loved it.

 

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now blasting;

 

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"Tchaikovsky's first opera, Voivoda as titled on the original Melodiya LPs but now more commonly written The Voyevoda is one of his most obscure works, largely thanks to his destruction of the score. To the best of my knowledge there has been one full recording, also originating in the USSR, and this early double-LP set of highlights or 'fragments', which I understand to have been produced for radio broadcast. In terms of sound quality it's very much of its age and origin - not bad, but soon to be eclipsed by recordings made later in the decade. That said, I've heard far worse from western record companies working in the early 1950s!

I've managed to breathe quite a bit of life into a slightly dull and dusty original, whilst battling against peak distortion at higher frequencies during some of the tracks. The titles used for the various tracks here are listed exactly as written on the Melodiya LPs."

Andrew Rose

 

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Drinking coffee and listening to some Barber. Never heard this music before but I like it. I really only know Barber's Adagio, so there's a LOT of exploring for me to do.

So far, what I'm liking is that Barber's music sounds very 20th century, but avoids being overly dissonant and atonal. Burn me at the stake if you wish, but I find it hard to listen to much atonal, dissonant music.

Having just recently learned that Barber was in a long-term relationship with Menotti, I'm very intrigued with the possibility of writing a movie script about their years together. It would be a film filled with a lot of great music for sure.

 

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Listening to the cello concerto. Gorgeous, thrilling music to my ears:

 

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I have that CD in high esteem for the Concerto Fantasy for two timpanists and orchestra. Now, that's exciting! There are no many concertante works for timpani, but this one definitely is great.

I'm listening to the cello concerto again and then moving on to the timpani piece.

 

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Listening to Elgar's 1st for the first time....and so far it's not doing much for me. It's pleasant, but nothing has really grabbed me. I know it is held in very high regard, so I will give it a few listens.

 

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Well, the first problem is you're listening to Barenboim. He's a good conductor, but I never cared for his Elgar. Try Barbirolli or Solti.

listening to this now

 

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I really hope you enjoy it. Under the right baton, Elgar is an exciting composer and has a style that is completely his own.

This Barbirolli does seem much more alive and emotive than the Barenboim.

 

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Wait until you hear Elgar's 2nd symphony. As much as I like the 1st, the 2nd took me aback the first time I heard it --- the Larghetto movement continues to have a profound effect on me.

Well, I am definitely enjoying this 1st now, under Barbirolli's directing.

Am I completely wrong in saying that there seems to be some similarities in style between Buckner and Elgar? I love Bruckner.

 

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No, I wouldn't say you're wrong at all. I don't personally hear it, but our ears have been known to deceive us.

I've been marvelling at the intensity of this Barbirolli recording. Just read an article where someone referred to it as "Barbirolli's operatic fury". Works for me.

And in the same article:
"Having had no musical education, Elgar drew his early inspirations from the German late-Romantic idiom, from Wagner, Bruckner and Richard Strauss, complemented by the contradicting otherness of Brahms. Deep down, he was a symphonist rooted in this tradition, and under a subtle but noticeable influence from Debussy, the French master of colour, he developed a highly individual orchestration technique to communicate the essence of his musical thoughts."


And from another piece:
"Elgar’s style drew on all the major influences of the day, while forging a highly personal and distinctly British style from them. His music was firmly rooted in the German Romanticism of Brahms and Bruckner and the programme visits lovely motets by these composers too."

So I guess I wasn't wrong in hearing the influence of Bruckner.

 

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Barbirolli, along with Adrian Boult, were champions of Elgar's music. They did so much for this composer. His oeuvre is loaded with gems. In fact, your posting has inspired me to revisit the 1st, but I'll probably wait until tomorrow.

Apparently Barbirolli died a few days after the recording I'm listening to. That is stunning. To think someone could conduct like this with death knocking on the door...

 

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I am completely in love with this:

Wagner - Tannhauser Overture & Venusberg Music
Sir John Barbirolli
Halle Orchestra
BBC Legends


I've never listened to much Wagner so it's a world for me to explore...

 

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Welcome to the world of Wagner! I hope you enjoy the ride.

Part of the reason I'm so late to Wagner is that I was never into opera. My father is an opera fanatic and has been trying for 40 years to get me into it...and I'm slowly starting to appreciate it. I'm not sure if I'll ever be a big fan of the genre, but I try. Collections of arias, I'm fine with. But entire operas? Not so much.

 

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It's best practice for the accommodation of anyone visually impaired as well, to post some minimal description of the linked picture, not to mention courteous also for people who wish to reduce data consumption but still participate. But there are those who simply will not extend even that much minimal common decency.

Ahh, I didn't realize. I will start putting info.

 

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Loving this! I love Bruckner and I love Klemperer so this is a match made in heaven for me:

Bruckner - Symphony No. 4 (1886 version, ed. Nowak)
Otto Klemperer - conductor
Philharmonia Orchestra
Recorded September 1963

from Warner Classics box set: Bruckner Symphonies 4-9

 

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If you love Klemperer and are just getting into opera, try his well regarded set of Wagnerian orchestral excerpts.

this one?

 

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Drinking delicious coffee and listening to my favorite composer of all time, J.S. Bach, being conducted by my favorite conductor, Otto Klemperer. Sublime.

J.S. Bach - Mass in B minor
conductor - Otto Klemperer
BBC Chorus
New Philharmonia Orchestra
BBC chorus master - Peter Gellhorn
Agnes Giebel - soprano, Janet Baker - mezzo-soprano, Nicolai Gedda - tenor, Hermann Prey - baritone, Franz Crass - bass-baritone
Recorded November 1967 Kingsway Hall, London