Which opera recordings do you listen to again and again?

For me it's Meistersinger and The Cunning Little Vixen. I've lost track of how many times I've listened to both right through, end to end. Usually on a Sunday afternoon when it's raining.....

Jenufa (originally Gregor - but now the 2020 Brno YT / Ivanovic + Cunnilingus Vixen (mono Neumann + YT video) + Tosca (various YT videos).

On Sunday, 30 July 2023 at 19:23:41 UTC+1, frankwm wrote:
> Jenufa (originally Gregor - but now the 2020 Brno YT / Ivanovic + Cunnilingus Vixen (mono Neumann + YT video) + Tosca (various YT videos).

I can only find excerpts from the Ivanovic Jenufa on YT. The 2004 Brno performance is there in its entirety.

Assiduously downloaded such material from around 2000 ('pandemic' of yore)...some 700GB of Opree.
All the YT Janacek's, I think:- the Jenufa is HQ pic/sound.
Unfortunately the mp4 file is 3.5GB..(the 2021 Osud/Vixen -Brno 2021's are 2GB)...otherwise....

(2020).. If you could nominate a storage site...??

On Sunday, July 30, 2023 at 6:52:16 PM UTC+2, Andy Evans wrote:
> Which opera recordings do you listen to again and again?
>
DGiovanni, Cosi, Parsifal, Lohengrin, Pique Dame, Billy Budd, l'Enfant.
I'm not big opera fan, too many words.

On Sunday, 30 July 2023 at 20:35:27 UTC+1, Herman wrote:
> On Sunday, July 30, 2023 at 6:52:16 PM UTC+2, Andy Evans wrote:
> > Which opera recordings do you listen to again and again?
> >
> DGiovanni, Cosi, Parsifal, Lohengrin, Pique Dame, Billy Budd, l'Enfant.
> I'm not big opera fan, too many words.

Ah yes - I forgot L'Enfant. That's a big favourite in the Maazel version.

I'll have to check out Lohengrin and Pique Dame again. I don't think I've listened to either all the way through.

Not so keen on Mozart. I did like Fidelio, though.

Op zondag 30 juli 2023 om 18:52:16 UTC+2 schreef Andy Evans:
> Which opera recordings do you listen to again and again?
>
> For me it's Meistersinger and The Cunning Little Vixen. I've lost track of how many times I've listened to both right through, end to end. Usually on a Sunday afternoon when it's raining.....

Dialogue des Carmelites by Poulenc, but not again and again.

Henk

On Monday, 31 July 2023 at 02:52:16 UTC+10, Andy Evans wrote:
> Which opera recordings do you listen to again and again?
>
> For me it's Meistersinger and The Cunning Little Vixen. I've lost track of how many times I've listened to both right through, end to end. Usually on a Sunday afternoon when it's raining.....

The Vixen for me too, either the first Neumann or the Mackerras. I have all the Janacek operas now and must start to get to know the others better. Also for some unknown reason, Verdi's Falstaff, or one of R. Strauss's operas.. I like Wagner's orchestral chunks sans the vocals.

What of the other Janacek operas do you prefer next to Vixen?

Ray Hall, Taree

On 2023-07-30 16:52:12 +0000, Andy Evans said:

> Which opera recordings do you listen to again and again?
>
> For me it's Meistersinger and The Cunning Little Vixen. I've lost track
> of how many times I've listened to both right through, end to end.
> Usually on a Sunday afternoon when it's raining.....

A bunch of Ponnelle dvds:

Figaro - Bohm
Barber of Seville - Abbado (Yes, I"m a fan of Hermann Prey)
Occasionally, Cenerentera

Toscanini's Traviata - the first act is so packed with energy. And
Peerce and Merrill.
Beecham's Carmen - wonderful "Parle-moi do ma mere" with Gedda & Micheau

Lately, listening to Branagh's Magic Flute - yes, it's in English and
set in WWI, but if you're just listening, you only hear the wonderful
singing!

An aria that's regularly heard:

Di Quella Pira with Mario del Monaco

Yes. My opera tastes are rather plebeian, but this is fun for me!

-Owen

On Monday, 31 July 2023 at 01:28:57 UTC+1, raymond....@gmail.com wrote:

> What of the other Janacek operas do you prefer next to Vixen?
>
> Ray Hall, Taree

Kat'a Kabanova, Jenufa are the obvious ones.

I rather like The Excursions of Mr Broucek as well.

On Monday, July 31, 2023 at 6:06:40 AM UTC-4, Andy Evans wrote:
> On Monday, 31 July 2023 at 01:28:57 UTC+1, raymond....@gmail.com wrote:
>
> > What of the other Janacek operas do you prefer next to Vixen?
> >
> > Ray Hall, Taree
> Kat'a Kabanova, Jenufa are the obvious ones.
>
> I rather like The Excursions of Mr Broucek as well.

I’ve been curious about some out of the main stream operas:

Saint Francis of Assisi – Messiaen
Aleko - Rachmaninov
L’Heure Espagnole -Ravel
Atlantida- Falla

I confess to not idealizing operatic voices in general. They strike me as a little too trained, often too bloated sounding and constricted. No offense intended to opera lovers. The classical singers I tend to like more are the lieder singer types – Elly Ameling, Kathleen Battle, Victoria De Los Angeles - in other words, lighter voices. When I really want to cleanse my ears of heavy vibrato opera singers, I’ll listen to Karen Carpenter or Indian or Javanese singers.

On Monday, 31 July 2023 at 12:21:43 UTC+1, JohnGavin wrote:

> Saint Francis of Assisi – Messiaen
> Aleko - Rachmaninov
> L’Heure Espagnole -Ravel
> Atlantida- Falla

Saint Francis of Assisi is new to me, but quite attractive with its lush string writing. Thanks for that.

On Sunday, July 30, 2023 at 5:52:16 PM UTC+1, Andy Evans wrote:
> Which opera recordings do you listen to again and again?
>
> For me it's Meistersinger and The Cunning Little Vixen. I've lost track of how many times I've listened to both right through, end to end. Usually on a Sunday afternoon when it's raining.....

One Sunday afternoon, when it was raining, back in 2007 or 2008, I killed some time by watching a video of Strauss's Arabella. While it was playing I did some tinkering with a tablet and noticed that amazon.com had a discussion group about classical music. I wasn't aware at all of internet forums at all before. I decided to join -- but then there was the question, everyone had strange names like "Piso Mojado" and "Scarecrow", what moniker do I give myself.

Well, as I was thinking about that, someone called Mandryka started singing in the opera, saying that he loves to hunt bears. I used to love to read "We're going on a bear hunt" with my kids, so I thought "why not?"

On Monday, 31 July 2023 at 16:23:26 UTC+1, Mandryka wrote:
> One Sunday afternoon, when it was raining, back in 2007 or 2008, I killed some time by watching a video of Strauss's Arabella. While it was playing I did some tinkering with a tablet and noticed that amazon.com had a discussion group about classical music. I wasn't aware at all of internet forums at all before. I decided to join -- but then there was the question, everyone had strange names like "Piso Mojado" and "Scarecrow", what moniker do I give myself.
>
> Well, as I was thinking about that, someone called Mandryka started singing in the opera, saying that he loves to hunt bears. I used to love to read "We're going on a bear hunt" with my kids, so I thought "why not?"

Great story - I've wondered about your moniker.

https://youtu.be/aEIiJyHaoBA
--
Roland van Gaalen
Amsterdam

On Sunday, 30 July 2023 at 20:35:27 UTC+1, Herman wrote:

> DGiovanni, Cosi, Parsifal, Lohengrin, Pique Dame, Billy Budd, l'Enfant.
> I'm not big opera fan, too many words.

I tried Lohengrin today, but I didn't get much out of it. Pretty introductory theme, but after that the melodic value of the singing in general is way inferior to Meistersinger for me. I just wish Wagner had written more secular operas and put aside his obsession with dungeons and dragons.

On Monday, July 31, 2023 at 5:24:22 PM UTC-5, Andy Evans wrote:
> On Sunday, 30 July 2023 at 20:35:27 UTC+1, Herman wrote:
> > DGiovanni, Cosi, Parsifal, Lohengrin, Pique Dame, Billy Budd, l'Enfant.
> > I'm not big opera fan, too many words.
> I tried Lohengrin today, but I didn't get much out of it. Pretty introductory theme, but after that the melodic value of the singing in general is way inferior to Meistersinger for me. I just wish Wagner had written more secular operas and put aside his obsession with dungeons and dragons.

On Monday, July 31, 2023 at 5:24:22 PM UTC-5, Andy Evans wrote:
> On Sunday, 30 July 2023 at 20:35:27 UTC+1, Herman wrote:
> > DGiovanni, Cosi, Parsifal, Lohengrin, Pique Dame, Billy Budd, l'Enfant.
> > I'm not big opera fan, too many words.
> I tried Lohengrin today, but I didn't get much out of it. Pretty introductory theme, but after that the melodic value of the singing in general is way inferior to Meistersinger for me. I just wish Wagner had written more secular operas and put aside his obsession with dungeons and dragons.

Rather see a good production of than just listen to: Magic Flute, Rusalka, Madame Butterfly, Eugene Onegin, Un ballo maschera.

I'm with you on the Vixen. Boris is another choice for me. And most everything by Handel. I do like St. François, but it's pretty long and some of it drags. The best parts are fantastic.

On Sunday, July 30, 2023 at 9:52:16 AM UTC-7, Andy Evans wrote:
> Which opera recordings do you listen to again and again?
>
> For me it's Meistersinger and The Cunning Little Vixen. I've lost track of how many times I've listened to both right through, end to end. Usually on a Sunday afternoon when it's raining.....

On Monday, July 31, 2023 at 6:50:54 PM UTC-5, Lawrence Kart wrote:
> Rather see a good production of than just listen to: Magic Flute, Rusalka, Madame Butterfly, Eugene Onegin, Un ballo maschera.
Fortunately, Lyric Opera has done a fine job (jobs) on all of these in recent years.

On Monday, July 31, 2023 at 11:24:22 PM UTC+1, Andy Evans wrote:
> On Sunday, 30 July 2023 at 20:35:27 UTC+1, Herman wrote:
> > DGiovanni, Cosi, Parsifal, Lohengrin, Pique Dame, Billy Budd, l'Enfant.
> > I'm not big opera fan, too many words.
> I tried Lohengrin today, but I didn't get much out of it. Pretty introductory theme, but after that the melodic value of the singing in general is way inferior to Meistersinger for me. I just wish Wagner had written more secular operas and put aside his obsession with dungeons and dragons.

Try Act 1 of Walküre.

On Tuesday, August 1, 2023 at 12:24:22 AM UTC+2, Andy Evans wrote:

> I just wish Wagner had written more secular operas and put aside his obsession with dungeons and dragons.

Haha, the animal of choice in Lohengrin is, obviously, a swan, big enough to seat a well-proportioned male.

On 30 Jul 2023 Andy Evans wrote:

> Which operas do you love to listen to?

Listen to? The shorter, the better :-)
Opera is music theatre, so it has to be seen and heard, preferably live.

Various Rameau operas, good music and spectacular shows guaranteed,
provided the operas are staged traditionally.
If you want music only, try the orchestral suites recorded by Frans
Brüggen and the Orchestra of the 18th Century.

http://www.glossamusic.com/glossa/reference.aspx?id=474

Chris