Some more opera recommendations (edited for conciseness) from the main Hugo 2 thread:
@Christer
On the contrary:Good to hear, even more people here than I thought seem to listen to "high information content" music with their HUGO 2s.
And opera is one of the most demanding genres one can use to evaluate any HIFI equipment with imo.
By the way what are or favourite operas since you mention Opera as not very bass heavy?
Some of my absolute favourites can be quite bass heavy at times, like Puccini's Tosca or Turandot for example. Or Richard Strauss's Die Frau ohne Schatten, and Elektra and Salome. And Wagner's der Ring des Nibelungen operas also go deep indeed.Verdi also digs deep in some operas. The opening scene and some others of Othello for example are a big challenge for bass accuracy for any system apart from being some of the most emotionally moving and rewarding "high information content music" ever composed.
@miko64
Now back to bassy opera: this depends on frequency range you consider bassy. I like very much Handel, Mozart, Donizetti, and you agre right, there are places with sub-bass (such as Haendel Rinaldo, where a thunderstorm is creared by vibrating a metal plate), but For example Le Nozze di Figaro is not too heavy on bass...
What are my favorites: Mozart - Le Nozze, Don Giovanni, Cosi van tutte, Zauberfloete, Haendel - Tamerlano, Rinaldo, Wagner - Meistersinger, Ring, Fliegender Hollaender, Donizetti, Monteverdi.
@Christer
I couldn't agree with you more regarding your favourite operas. The Mozart operas you mention contain some of the most sublime "high information content music" in the entire history of western classical music.
Rarely a day passes, without listening to at least some music by that genius. And in precisely those operas his genius shines the most brightly imo.
I would also add the early operatic masterpiece Die Entführung aus dem Serail to my list of absolutely essential Mozart operas.
I must confess though that I am rather unfamiliar with baroque operas.
Do you have any hi res recordings of Tamerlano or Rinaldo to recommend?
@miko64
some disk I like particularly
Mozart - Le Nozze: either Kleiber or Currentzis both 24/96
Mozart - Don Giovanni - Giuliani 1961 or Currentzis both 24/96
Meistersinger - Karajan 16/44
Rinaldo - there is a very nice (very high quality recoding) with Cecila Bartoli 16/44
Tamerlano - Xavier Sabato 24/96
Verdi - Rigoletto w Pavarotti 24/96
Ps from the above - besides the mozart recordings, rinaldo w Bartholi is really exceptional, both re content and sound quality
@Christer
I already have the Currentzis Figaro and via my Benchmark and HE1000V2 it sounds clearly easier on my ears than via HUGO and musically it is becoming the one I play most often of My Figaros.
On LPs I also have the classic DGG /Böhm mid 60s recording and Colin Davis's Philips set from a bit later and in slightly better SQ than DGGs.
Don Giovanni same as you on LPs. But I just saw that it has been released as a hi res download. Not sure if hi res can improve the rather thin early EMI SQ though. But yes musically it is wonderful.
Meistersinger Karajan on LPs and Pentatone/Janowski live as 24/96 download
Rigoletto both the original LP DECCA set and the 24/96 download.
It is quite a good example of what 24/96 can deliver from a well recorded analogue mastertape over what rbcd can.
Another good example of the same is the classic DECCA Turandot recording from the same period, which I also have both on LPs and as hi res download.
Unfortunately there is still a lack of modern opera recordings in hi res and ones that musically rival the classic recordings.
But I will look into your Handel recommendations for sure.
