[Nedeslusire]

Playing this new remastered marvel...

Which cantatrice can claim she has embodied the character of Norma better than Maria Callas? The tragic figure of the Gaulish priestess torn between her rank and her love for a Roman proconsul is the emblematic role of Maria Callas, the one she performed most often on stage (almost a hundred times) and with which she attained the status of living legend. Here is the first studio version of 1954 conducted by Tullio Serafin.

 

[Tsaraslondon]

Playing this new remastered marvel...

Which cantatrice can claim she has embodied the character of Norma better than Maria Callas? The tragic figure of the Gaulish priestess torn between her rank and her love for a Roman proconsul is the emblematic role of Maria Callas, the one she performed most often on stage (almost a hundred times) and with which she attained the status of living legend. Here is the first studio version of 1954 conducted by Tullio Serafin.

I would just add that there are also quite a few live recordings of Callas singing Norma, which only serve to confirm her hegemony in the role. By general consent, the best of them is the La Scala performance of 1955, with Del Monaco, Simionato and Zaccaria, and conducted by Votto.

It's best incarnation is probably this one from Divina Records.

Maria Callas - Norma (Milan, 7 December 1955) DVN-17 – Divina Records

 

[Monsalvat]

Richard Wagner: Götterdämmerung
Herbert von Karajan: Berliner Philharmoniker (1969–1970)
Helga Dernesch, Helge Brilioth, Gundula Janowitz, Thomas Stewart, Karl Ridderbusch, Christa Ludwig, Zoltán Kelemen, et al.

And so my journey ends, until next time. Here's Karajan rehearsing with Brilioth on stage for the 1970 Salzburg Easter Festival.

 

[Itullian]

Das Rheingold

 

[Monsalvat]

Charles Gounod: Faust
Georges Prêtre: Chœur et Orchestre du Théâtre National de l’Opéra de Paris (1978)
Plácido Domingo, Mirella Freni, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Thomas Allen, Michèle Command, Jocelyne Taillon, Marc Vento

After a lot of Wagner in the last week or two, I'm going for something different today. I'm completely unfamiliar with this opera, and almost entirely unfamiliar with French opera in general outside of Pelléas et Mélisande. At least I'm familiar with the Faust legend. So far, I'm enjoying this excursion outside of more familiar territory for me and I think I'll be trying some other French operas in the near future in an effort to broaden my horizons.

 

[Monsalvat]

Jules Massenet: Werther
Colin Davis: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (1980)
José Carreras, Frederica von Stade, Thomas Allen, Isobel Buchanan, Robert Lloyd

Another French opera I've never heard before, but this is really beautiful. And so different from Faust. Funny, because I hated reading The Sorrows of Young Werther but I'm loving this opera.

 

[Tsaraslondon]

Jules Massenet: Werther
Colin Davis: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (1980)
José Carreras, Frederica von Stade, Thomas Allen, Isobel Buchanan, Robert Lloyd

Another French opera I've never heard before, but this is really beautiful. And so different from Faust. Funny, because I hated reading The Sorrows of Young Werther but I'm loving this opera.

I love Werther and it's been extraordinarily lucky on disc, right from the first abridged recording under Elie Cohen with Georges Thill and Ninon Vallin.

The Davis is certainly a strong contender, as is the Pappano with Alagna and Gheorghiu and the Prêtre with Gedda and De Los Angeles.

All of these are among my favourites.

 

[Monsalvat]

Ludwig van Beethoven: Fidelio
Leonard Bernstein: Wiener Philharmoniker (1978)
Gundula Janowitz, Lucia Popp, René Kollo, Hans Sotin, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Manfred Jungwirth, Adolf Dallapozza

Especially love Janowitz and the Vienna Philharmonic here; Bernstein's reading is exciting and it doesn't wallow like his Tristan did. I prefer Fischer-Dieskau in the role of Pizarro, as he is cast for Fricsay in 1957. But by '78, his voice was probably better for this smaller role. Bernstein also plays the Leonore Overture No. 3 before Heil sei dem Tag, an artistic choice which I don't believe was ever sanctioned by Beethoven but which I nonetheless enjoy for the drama of the overture, as well as for its role in balancing out the lengths of the two acts.

 

[SixFootScowl]

Ludwig van Beethoven: Fidelio
Leonard Bernstein: Wiener Philharmoniker (1978)
Gundula Janowitz, Lucia Popp, René Kollo, Hans Sotin, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Manfred Jungwirth, Adolf Dallapozza

Especially love Janowitz and the Vienna Philharmonic here; Bernstein's reading is exciting and it doesn't wallow like his Tristan did. I prefer Fischer-Dieskau in the role of Pizarro, as he is cast for Fricsay in 1957. But by '78, his voice was probably better for this smaller role. Bernstein also plays the Leonore Overture No. 3 before Heil sei dem Tag, an artistic choice which I don't believe was ever sanctioned by Beethoven but which I nonetheless enjoy for the drama of the overture, as well as for its role in balancing out the lengths of the two acts.

I have that recording and the DVD. The CD is studio. The DVD is live. To me, the DVD is much better, so I would recommend listening to the DVD instead of the studio CD. There is so much more life (emotion expressed better) in the live performance IMO.

 

[Itullian]

 

[Monsalvat]

Jules Massenet: Manon
Antonio Pappano: Orchestre Symphonique et Chœurs de la Monnaie (1999)
Angela Gheorgiu, Roberto Alagna, Earle Patriarco, José van Dam, et al.

Continuing my exploration of French operas I haven't ever heard before. I can't believe I hadn't given Massenet a try at all before this week; I really liked Werther and this is good too. I haven't heard Puccini's Manon Lescaut, either, actually, come to think of it. Glad to be broadening my horizons a little bit, since it's long overdue.

 

[Monsalvat]

Charles Gounod: Roméo et Juliette
Michel Plasson: Chœur et Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse (1995)
Angela Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna, José van Dam, Simon Keenlyside, Marie-Ange Todorovitch, Alain Fondary

 

[SixFootScowl]

^ I like your trending with Alagna & Gheorghiu. They also did a nice L'Amico Fritz.

 

[Monsalvat]

^ I like your trending with Alagna & Gheorghiu.

Wasn't totally intentional but it wasn't a bad choice! Van Dam is also in both of those.

 

[pianozach]

Iolanthe
Gilbert & Sullivan

I'm the musical director for a production of Iolanthe. We open March 10.

Here's the beautiful Overture:

.

Our pit band will be smaller than this orchestra, as budget and space don't allow for a larger orchestra than we have.

 

[Andrew Kenneth]

Jacques Offenbach - La Périchole
Chœur de l'Opéra National de Bordeaux
Les Musiciens du Louvre - Marc Minkowski

 

[opus55]

Charles Gounod (1818-1893)
Faust

 

[Itullian]

Siegfried from this great Ring cycle.

 

[starthrower]

The making of Solti's Ring. Hour and a half documentary.

 

[opus55]

Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
Madama Butterfly