What opera are you currently listening to / watching? CD/DVD

I've been listening to St Matthew Passion. I know it's not an opera but it's a work I don't know & I'm going to see it in April & want to familiarise myself before I go.

But today Matthew will take a back-seat as I have a new Boris on my Walkman which I'll listen to on my way to work this morning. I'll report back tonight.

Kasper Holten's film "JUAN" based on Mozart's Don Giovanni

Kasper Holten's film "JUAN" in a word... "Awesome"

It's Don Giovanni, score and libretto abridged, yes... but it's so much fun watching. The English sub titles are needed, with the text flying by along side the music. The story is updated to "now". Instead of Leporello writing down Juan's conquests to a ledger... now he secretly records all encounters (hit and misses) in the thousands, on video (there must be a large hard drive on that MacBook?) I luv the singing, in the streets, in the shower, uptown, downtown, in train stations... everywhere. It fits the style of the whole film. What you do get, is no lip syncing. The singers were fitted with blue tooth ear buds feeding them the Mozart score, super mikes to capture the vocals and at the same time street noise. I liked the way the signers did sing voice overs, when their characters were deep in thought. Real opera... singing/acting were filmed in the streets and byways of a big city. This film is modern, cell phones, etc. The score and text are trimmed, the action, non stop. It feels sexy, dark, with danger around every corner. We know Mozart's Don Diovanni has class privilege, he's monied, and a master opportunist. His list of victims and conquests are a mile long. In this "Juan" you get an English translation that's "R" rated, and cheeky. Just watch Zerlina begging for her lover's forgiveness. it feels real, it's heady, and at the same time meaty stuff. To me the testy language fits this film like a glove. "Juan" film on DVD is an imported Blu-Ray. It's coded Region 2 - Europe. To play this Blu-Ray in the US, you need a Region Free Blu-Ray Player. I hope the "Juan" Blu-Ray will get a USA release date soon. It's been showing up at film festival's around the world... a must see.

[video][/video]

http://juanfilm.dk/eng/index.php?page=historien

Mozart's Clemenza di Tito:

sospiro said:

... I have a new Boris on my Walkman which I'll listen to on my way to work this morning. I'll report back tonight.

Click to expand...

I can't believe just how much I love this already. Very different from my other favourite.



The Semkow is done with a lighter hand & tone (don't ask me for technical terms) but is still very Russian. If I was asked to choose my favourite between these two I couldn't.

Thanks Rob for the recommendation.

In preparation for the next round of CD voting:

Still listening/watching versions of Trovatore this week after recent vote here.........

This is really a great opera and Leonora has such beautiful memorable arias, Raina Kabaivanska is ravishing in this 1978 DVD, so impressive too bad she does not have a large catalog of work

This recording of Handel's Alcina is the latest addition to my CD collection. Sutherland and Wunderlich are fabulous -- makes one wish they would have made more recordings together. (This one is from a 1959 radio broadcast.) There are no weak links in the supporting cast, either, with Norma Procter as Bradamante and Nicola Monti as Oronte.

Watched this performance this evening. I had listened to the music before, but this was my first viewing. Loved it. The fact that I briefly fell asleep should not be seen as a detraction from that statement. My little germans (dachshunds) insisted on joining me on the couch for some Beethoven. They fell asleep first and I am usually unable to resist their sleep inducing powers.