Best Opera Recording

[bigshot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by saint.panda Ruggerio79, those Ring cycles are just too expensive. I think I'll have to listen to the Solti and Böhm cycles first before dropping 115 / 60 Euros for the entire set.

I gave you a link to a site where you could order an entire Ring (with Nilsson!) for $10. It's in good quality stereo MP3 sound. The same site has hundreds and hundreds of complete operas on CD-ROM from rare radio broadcasts.

See ya
Steve

 

[saint.panda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigshot I gave you a link to a site where you could order an entire Ring (with Nilsson!) for $10. It's in good quality stereo MP3 sound. The same site has hundreds and hundreds of complete operas on CD-ROM from rare radio broadcasts. See ya Steve

You're right, I missed that link. Thanks for the reminder!
Edit: Ordered it for $14 including shipping.

 

[Bunnyears]

Quote:

Originally Posted by saint.panda PSmith08, I have the Missa Solemnis recording that came with Bernstein's Beethoven 9 on Sony but have not given it any serious listening yet (do you know if this particular recording of the Missa Solemnis is decent?) and I just realized that I have das Lied von der Erde with Klemperer and Wunderlich, which I bought during a Mathler buying spree but which I haven't listened to yet either. I have written down your other recomendations for the next time I go to the record store. Thanks! I took notes on all the other recommendations (much obliged!) but this opera business seems to be even more expensive than normal classical music. Seriously, 115 Euros for "one" recording? This is just crazy.

The Bernstein Missa Solemnis on the DG double with the B9 is probably one of the greater performances of that work! I certainly love it, but it's not HIP, it's definitely big band Beethoven.

 

[PSmith08]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunnyears The Bernstein Missa Solemnis on the DG double with the B9 is probably one of the greater performances of that work! I certainly love it, but it's not HIP, it's definitely big band Beethoven.

What bunnyears said.

I am inclined toward Gardiner's Beethoven, but Bernstein was no slouch.

 

[calaf]

since nobody has mentioned it yet here is another great one, perhaps THE one
Verdi "Otello" - Domingo, Freni, Cappuccilli - C. Kleiber La Scala - Bicentennial recital
It is available in CD and VHS for a bit more than $10
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...ce&s=classical
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...video&n=507846
the singing is top-notch, but it is Kleiber and La Scala Orchestra and Coro who made this performance special: the rhytmh, how the music serves the drama would have made Verdi proud of his theater.
AFAIK no watchable DVD transfer is available which is a real shame. Waiting for the DVD to appear the VHS is still available and has bad video quality and pretty honest sound.

 

[bigshot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by saint.panda You're right, I missed that link. Thanks for the reminder! Edit: Ordered it for $14 including shipping.

You'll want to pick up a libretto. Andrew Porter's excellent translation is available in Penguin paperback.

In case anyone else missed the link, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Where else can you get all this for $10?

Die Feen (Edward Downes - John Mitchinson, Paul Hudson; April Cantelo)
Das Liebesverbot (Edward Downes - Raimund Herincx, Alexander Young, Ian Caley, Neil Jenkins)
Rienzi (Edward Downes - John Mitchinson, Michael Langdon; Lorna Haywood)
Der Fliegende Holländer (David Lloyd-Jones - Norman Bailey; Stafford Dean; Gwyneth Jones)
Tannhäuser(Artur Rodzinski - Karl Liebl, Eberhard Wächter; Gre Brouwenstijn)
Lohengrin (Lovro von Matacic - Fritz Uhl; Victoria de los Angeles, Christa Ludwig)
The Ring (Wolfgang Sawallisch - Theo Adam, Jean Cox; Nadezda Kniplova)
Tristan und Isolde (Horst Stein - Spass Wenkoff, Donald McIntyre; Katerina Ligendza)
Die Meistersinger von Nüremberg (Reginald Goodall - Norman Bailey, Alberto Remedios; Margaret Curphey)
Parsifal(Simon Rattle - Poul Elming, Robert Lloyd; Violeta Urmana)

Or this collection of live broadcasts from Bayreuth...

Der fliegende Holländer 1976 Davies - Estes, Salminen, Balslev
Götterdämmerung 1976 Boulez - Jones, Thomas, Arvidsson
Götterdämmerung 1976 Boulez - Knie, Thomas, Arvidsson
Lohengrin 1968 Erede - King, Harper, McIntyre
Die Meistersinger 1960 Knappertsbusch - Greindl, Windgassen, Grümmer
Parsifal 1971 Jochum - Konya, Crass, Martin, Stewart
Das Rheingold 1976 Boulez - McIntyre, Randova, Zednik
Siegfried 1952 Keilberth - Aldenhoff, Varnay, Hotter
Siegfried 1976 Boulez - Kollo, Jones, McIntyre
Tannhäuser 1972 Leinsdorf - Beresford, Jones, Sotin, Weikl
Tristan und Isolde 1970 - BöhmWindgassen, Nilsson, Hoffman
Tristan und Isolde 1999 - BarenboimJerusalem, Meier, Braun
Die Walküre1976 Boulez - McIntyre, Jones, Hofmann

iPod heaven!

See ya
Steve

 

[Vicious Tyrant]

Quote:

Originally Posted by saint.panda Except for Solti's Ring, which I have already added to my to-buy list, what are your 3-4 definitive recordings for an opera or classical singing beginner? Or perhaps a sampler would be better as a starter?

I think this is a great distinction. The greatest opera recordings are not necessarily the best opera recordings for a beginner.

I'm going to call myself an opera "intermediate" here, so I have lots to learn myself.

That said, I would recommend the following four to the beginner:

1) Zauberflote. The Christie version above is just wonderful (I know the above mentioned Solti has a lot of fans, but I would avoid it). However, my nod goes to the Ostman recording on the L'oiseau Lyre label. It's a recent recording, using period pieces like the Christie recording. Kind of quirky, but really fun. I think the Papageno is overly quirky, but its still a great recording.

Zauberflote is probably not considered as "GREAT" as Figaro or Don Giovanni, but it is so tuneful and so accessible to the beginner, that I think its the best place to start. The music is fun to listen to and really moves. The heavier parts just make you tear up. Its a great all around experience.

Check out the Bohm recording on the London label for a good, low priced recording.

Zauberflote can be interpreted so many ways, its probably worth getting multiple recordings (eventually)

2) Turandot. I recommend the Leinsdorf recording on the RVA Victor label. WIth Nilsson as the Princess, Tebaldi as Liu, and Bjoerling (not as well known as Pavorotti et al, but really a great tenor - a voice described as flush with "unwept tears"), how can you go wrong? Cheaper than the Pavorotti/Sutherland/Mehta recording and I think more enjoyable.

Turandot is a power opera. Full of great tunes and weepy moments. It really lets you have it. Far less sachirine-y (SP?) than most of Puccinni's stuff.

3) Rigoletto. Again, a great beginners opera with recognizable tunes, a pot-boiler of a plot, and lots of good recordings to choose from.

I think you do best here with the easily-found Boynge with Sutherland/Milnes/Pavarotti. There are others that some will prefer but you're really doing well with this recording.

4) Lohengrin. A dreamy intro to Wagner, much easier to handle than the sprawling Ring cycle or the atonal Tristan (IMHO). Full of beautiful music that grabs you much quicker than Wagner's other works, which honestly take some work.

I forget who did it, but look for Jess Thomas as Lohengrin. Again, its the easiest to find, well priced, and an absolutley superb recording (with its detractors, of course).



I'm sure some of the operatti will disagree with this list, but I'm stickin' with it.

 

[Vicious Tyrant]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JefferyK - Saint-Saens, "Samson et Dalila." Vickers, Gorr; Cluytens. EMI. Jeffery

Thanks for mentioning this underrated opera, but this recording sounds weak to my ears (not the performance - the recording). I recommend the Cura/Borodina recording (conducted by Davis???? Ah, Google says yes).

 

[Vicious Tyrant]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigshot The only Rings I would recommend not wasting time with are Levine and Haitink. The best bargain Ring is Mike Richter's El Anillo Ring ($10!) http://www.imagemogul.com/im/opera.html See ya Steve

I just finally looked at this site in earnest and that's really cool! Do you know anything about the recordings here?

 

[JefferyK]

Deleted.

 

[bigshot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vicious Tyrant I just finally looked at this site in earnest and that's really cool! Do you know anything about the recordings here?

Mike Richter is an extremely knowledgeable collector and sound engineer. For many years he was documenting radio broadcasts of performances, the masters of which have long since been erased by the radio stations that broadcast them. He put together the Audio Encyclopedia to gather together large quantities of important recordings for study and comparison. With the exception of the El Anillo Ring which is high quality stereo sound, most of them are relatively low quality MP3s, but they're still very listenable. Here is Mike Richter's homepage. He has more info on the Audio Encyclopedia there...

http://www.mrichter.com/

See ya
Steve

 

[iDesign]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunnyears The Callas/di Stefano/Gobbi Tosca that you like is considered the greatest opera recording ever made by many people. Although it was recorded in mono, it still is so incredibly moving. Callas was in great voice at the time and EMI's remaster is excellent, so the whole is superb. I can't say enough wonderful things about that recording. I also think that this is the perfect recording for beginners as the performances are so amazing. No one could ever be bored listening to this one.

Bunnyears, you consistently have outstanding recommendations and input. It is a pity that the recoding quality is not higher.

 

[Bunnyears]

iDesign,

First, thanks for the kind words!

The Tosca was recorded with the best technology that existed at the time. The cast, which had performed to thunderous acclaim at La Scala, Milan may possibly have been equaled, but never surpassed. Most of the young people here are not aware of how very revolutionary Callas was in the opera world. Before Callas, opera was sung and not acted. She was the first great diva who actually had acting talent, charisma and stage presence to match her singing talent, and it was her particular genius to blend them on stage into an inimitably incandescent performance. Don't worry about the sound quality of the recording which is actually not that bad, and listen to it. Someone like her will not come around again very soon.