The ending from one of my favourite symphonies (sorry if it's already been posted on this thread)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rECVy...eature=related
Also, watching Berstein conduct is always fun
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The ending from one of my favourite symphonies (sorry if it's already been posted on this thread)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rECVy...eature=related
Also, watching Berstein conduct is always fun
Believe it or not, this is the first time I've ever seen Bernstein conduct. I've heard plenty of his recordings, but never saw him. I can see where his fame comes from. It seems like he's really sloppy, but I've never seen a conductor so into it before, singing along like that. I'm assuming that's why his orchestras are so powerful--the players can't help but get not it when watching him.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...nL._SS500_.jpg
Damn!!!
This just arrived this week. Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos with Hilde Zadek, Rita Streich, Sena Jurinac, etc... conducted by Joseph Keilberth with the Westdeutschen Rundfunks Köln Orchestra (WDR) recorded in 1954. The sound for this era is quite stupendous and both the soloists and conductor of great historical and artistic merit.
Best of all... the prices on these Historical WDR recordings are ridiculously inexpensive. I immediately rushed to pick up the following:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...QL._SS400_.jpg
While Fidelio has never been my favorite opera, how could I possibly lose at $5 US for a recordings with Birgit Nilssen, Hans Hopf, and Gottlob Frick in his greatest role?! This performance was conducted by Erich Kleiber just weeks before his death.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...TL._SS400_.jpg
Niccolai Gedda and Hermann Prey with Keilberth performing Gluck! I already have this opera in a more contemporary period recording... but still, I couldn't pass this one up.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg
Von Weber's masterpiece performed by Elizabeth Grümmer, Rita Streich, etc... with Erich Kleiber again. Again for only $10 US!!
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...1L._SS400_.jpg
Strauss' masterpiece with Astrid Varnay, Leonie Rysanek, Hans Hotter and Richard Kraus?
Double Damn!!!
I have gotten to the point where my recordings of Strauss operas outnumber those by any other composer... Wagner included!!! I must rectify this immediately. Perhaps another Ring cycle?
In the end, I even jumped on this disc from the same WDR historic recordings series.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg
Returning to Ariadne auf Naxos, this work is a marvelous slapstick comedy... an opera about opera and the theater... with the libretto by the brilliant librettist, Hugo von Hofmannsthal. The opera was first performed (in its original form) in 1912, a few short years after the Expressionistic tragedies, Salome (1905) and Elektra (1909). In the original form, the audience was presented only with a brief hybrid: an opera that combined a serious classical story with a comedy performed by a commedia dell'arte group. Not only was the result confusing, but impractical, at barely 30-minutes the work still demanded both an orchestra and opera singers as well as a troupe of comic actors. in 1916 Strauss expanded the work with a prologue that essentially "explains" the bizarre serious/comic opera: "Ariadne auf Naxos", a tragic opera, the first work of a young composer is to be performed at the home of the wealthiest man in Vienna. The music master in informed that a comic play and a fireworks display will immediately follow the performance of the opera. The music masters protests, but informs that he who pays has the ultimate say. The composer is fascinated with the beautiful, young Zerbinetta, leader of the comic troupe of actors, but is outraged when he learns that a comic play will follow his opera. While he is raging, the steward of the wealthy man again arrives and announces that for the sake of expediency, both the tragic opera and the comic play are to be staged at the same time. The composer is aghast, but Zerbinetta is able to seductively talk him into seeing it from another perspective. The opera takes the tale of "Ariadne and Theseus" in which the daughter of the King of Minos aids Theseus (the Athenian enemy of Minos) with whom she has fallen in love, in killing the Minotaur. She then elopes with Theseus who abandons her on the island of Naxos where in despair, she commits suicide. This tragedy is mutated into a farce when Zerbinetta and her four companions from the burlesque group enter and attempt to cheer Ariadne by singing and dancing. In a sustained and dazzling piece of coloratura singing, "Großmächtige Prinzessin" / "high and mighty princess" (the most well-known aria of the opera) Zerbinetta insists that the simplest way to get over a broken heart is to find another man. In a comic interlude, each of the clowns pursues Zerbinetta.
Ariadne auf Naxos proves a striking contrast to Strauss' other operas. As opposed to his usual penchant for lush, rich, and grandiose orchestration, Ariadne auf Naxos is performed by a stripped-down, chamber orchestra of some 35 instruments and piano. It and clearly illustrates the fact that Strauss had the ability to write striking passages of chamber music... and yet at the same time never abandon his signature sensuality.[/QUOTE]
I just can't get into any Strauss opera - maybe I just haven't come across the right recordings. I will have to check out some that you posted.
Which Strauss operas have you heard?
Salome and Elektra
Which one (and which part) of Mozart's symphonies is this?
Not a symphony. It's Eine Kline nachtmusik, first mvt
Cool, thanks.
Salome and Elektra
Damn! Those are almost certainly the two best of Strauss operas... of course they are also the two most Modernist/Expressionist. Of course I should note that Strauss probably has the broadest range stylistically between operas. Nothing else in his oeuvre is like Elektra and Salome. Der Rosenkavalier is championed by an equal number of Strauss admirers as being his greatest achievement. Der Rosenkavalier merges the lush 19th century Romanticism with elements of Mozart's operas (especially Le Nozze di Figaro) and Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus. Another equally brilliant opera is Die Frau ohne Schatten while Ariadne auf Naxos, mentioned above, introduces the chamber opera genre.
Beyond Strauss... which operas have you experienced and particularly liked?
I'm fairly well versed in opera. Rossini and Mozart are probably my favorites. Others that I love
Bizet's Carmen
Wagner, particularly Tristan and Isolde
Purcell, anything by Purcell
Puccini, particularly La Bohem
Verdi, particularly Othello or Rigaleto
Gluck, Paris and Helen
There are others, but those are the top. As you can see I tend to not go past the Romantics when it comes to opera (Wagner being the exception, because he is fantastic)
He is a better singer in Russian than he is in Italian, but I am really liking Dmitri Hvorostovsky's stuff. I just picked up his album, "Portrait"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUpfMwkiwac
Yes, I have several of the so-called "silver fox'" CDs... especially of Russian lieder and opera. Yet he is particularly good as La Traviata's Germont:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p37B...eature=related
And how about DM with Anna Netrebko:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36vm2VoXuXA
There can be no doubt why these two are among the most in demand performers in opera today!
I just caught about the last hour and a half of Phillip Glass's Satyagraha on PBS earlier today. I was really, really surprised by how much I enjoyed it, do in no little part by the beautiful voice of tenor Richard Croft, not to mention some of the beautiful staging:
http://www.operanews.com/uploadedIma...aHDhdl1111.jpg
I'm giving a first listen to Carl Maria von Weber's (not to be confused with Anton WeberN)... Gothic masterpiece:
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I actually first heard this opera a good many years ago... perhaps not long after I graduated high-school:eek2: but only now have I finally picked up a copy ... and I'm already thinking of grabbing hold of a second (if not a third) recording.
This particular recording is by Erich Kleiber, father of Carlos Kleiber... who also recorded a classic version of this opera. Indeed, there are a number of highly regarded versions of this seminal opera:
Erich Kleiber recorded the version that I am currently listening to with the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra and soloists including Elizabeth Grümmer, Rita Streich (one of my favorites among the older singers), Hans Hopf, Kurt Bohm, etc...
Wilhelm Furtwangler recorded this opera with the same soloists as Erich Kleiber
Carlos Kleiber recorded the opera in 1973 with the Dresden Staatskapelle and soloists Gundula Janowitz and Peter Schreier
Joseph Keilberth records the opera in 1958 with the Berlin Philharmonic.
For a historic recording (1955) the sound on this recording is consistently excellent. Even so, I'll probably pick up another copy of this opera as I currently seem to have an obsession with German opera... from Handel to Gluck to Mozart to Wagner to Strauss. Quite likely I'll go with Keilberth... but then again Carlos Kleiber always has something interesting to offer... and in this instance, his is the newest of the great versions... and includes the full libretto.
Der Freischütz was an instant hit and immediately established the genre of German Romantic opera. Like Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, Weber's opera makes use of simple memorable folk-like melodies. In this way Weber's opera contrasted with the more ornate, courtly Italian operas and clearly took the side of the humble German peasants who had long suffered under the rule of foreign potentates. To Mozart's model Weber brought the drama of Romanticism... the "Sturm und Drang" of Beethoven. He also brought something truly new to opera: the element of the supernatural of German Gothic. The scene in the Wolf's Glen, where the two peasant hunters meet with Zamiel, the "Black Hunter" who hunts for human souls, employs a music worthy of Goethe's Walpurgisnacht... and it set a model for an endless exploration of the supernatural in subsequent operas: Charles Gounod's Faust, Berlioz' La damnation de Faust, Boito's Mefistofele, Heinrich Marschner's Der Vampyr, etc...
I have posted the Bernstein performance on this thread previously and thought it was as good as it could be until I heard this. The ending is simply unbelievable.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charles Darnay
http://youtu.be/RONBzkthUjM
The Cello Suites by J.S. Bach are among my absolute favorite works... ever since I first came upon them in performance by Yo Yo Ma a few short years after high-school.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg
Beside this first recording of the suites by Ma, I have recordings of the suites by Pierre Fournier...
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg
Janos Starker...
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg
and Paul Tortelier...
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg
(Yes... I am a Bach fanatic... to the point that I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 discs by old Johann Sebastian.)
Beyond these recordings of the cello suites, I have heard the historic recordings by Pablo Casals and Rostropovich famous recording from late in his career. For whatever reason... part of it, I think is due to the tonality of the venue or perhaps the engineering of the actual recording which I just don't like... I have (until now) never been keen on getting Rostropovich' version of the suites.
But then I watched this documentary on Rostropovich recently...:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gt4tfg5Ed5U
... I found myself wanting to give Rostropovich another listen. Browsing through Amazon... I stumbled upon this live recording made at the Prague Spring music festival...
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg
Rostropovich had as much of a special relationship with Prague as he did with Bach. Bach's suites were the unquestionable peak of the known cello repertoire... and certainly the ultimate measure of any cellist. Prague was the first city outside of the Soviet Union that Rostropovich had visited. It was in Prague that he met the brilliant Russian singer, Galina Vishnevskaya, and married her 3 days later... without even having heard her sing a single note!
http://www.vokrug.tv/pic/person/4/e/...d44d1ce7d.jpeg
Rostropovich appeared at the Prague Spring festival 7 times, but refused to perform there again following the Soviet crackdown in 1968 as a result of the period of liberalization known (ironically) as The Prague Spring. He did not return until 1991 after the final member of the Soviet occupational force had left Czechoslovakia.
This recording was made in 1955...
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4006/4...1b916fff_z.jpg
at his third appearance at the Prague Spring festival. The recording barely shows its age and the fact that the performance was live... The cello sounds rich and closely miked... and yet there is also a sense of the space of the hall... and the performance is stunning... all the more-so considering the cellist was but 27 years old.
I have posted the Bernstein performance on this thread previously and thought it was as good as it could be until I heard this. The ending is simply unbelievable.
http://youtu.be/RONBzkthUjM
Dudamel's performances have been criticized for some of the same "sloppiness" that was attributed to Bernstein. I'm somewhat intrigued, Emil, considering your background and personality, that you are attracted to these broader, looser, messier... "sloppier" interpretations of a lot of the music you love. I've come to love some of these interpretations: the classic recordings of Munch, Furtwangler, Stokowsky, Jean Martinon... and certainly Bernstein, but I have always been drawn to those soloists and conductors who were real "Nazi's"... carving the music from stone: Karajan, Bohm, Klemperer, Szell, Solti... and now Masaaki Suzuki and the Bach Collegium Japan. Nevertheless, my favorite recordings of Mahler's 2nd (perhaps my favorite among his symphonies) remain those of the "screaming skull"... George Solti:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OvqWPmpHYo...ed%2BSkull.jpg
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg
the famous Zubin Mehta recording:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg
Bruno Walter, perhaps the greatest conductor of Mahler... a close friend of the composer who first performed his masterpiece, Das Lied von der Erde, also recorded a stunning recording of the 2nd with Maureen Forrester:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg
... and then there's the classic recording by the young Simon Rattle... considered by many critics to still be the best:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg
I must admit that seeing the actual performance of Dudamel and the Simon Bolivar Symphony who approach this music in an openly, visually, intensely emotional manner makes for a truly powerful experience.
Well Stlukes, it is the powerful experience that I look for in music and judging by the massive reception that the 6000 people attending that promenade concert performance gave to Dudamel and his orchestra, so do many concertgoers. To my mind music is not to be played with mechanical precision but must have room to breathe and Mahler cannot be performed as though the orchestra were playing a Boccherini minuet. As long as the dramatic potential of the work comes through I'm not too bothered about the niceties of the performance; in pursuit of which conductors often put the music into a straight jacket.Quote:
Originally Posted by stlukesguild
As Sir Thomas Beecham once famously told his players: "Do what you like but don't be boring."
I straddle the line when it comes to performances. In other words, I'm not a purist. I love Bohm and Karajan's overly grand and Romantic interpretations of Haydn's Die Schöpfung... but I also like Gardiner's historically informed performance (HIP). Jordi Savall's historically informed... yet free interpretations of Handel's Water Music and Royal Fireworks music rehabilitated these oft overplayed works, his Boccherini recordings are simply unrivaled, and his performances of Bach's Art of the Fugue, Brandenburg Concertos, and Musical Offering are among the finest ever recorded... and yet I also love the icy precision and perfection of Masaaki Suzuki and the Bach Collegium Japan.
With composers like Mahler, Bruckner, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninoff, I find that the music is already broad, sprawling, and Romantic enough as it is. A conductor like Karajan, Szell, Solti, etc... is able to bring to this music something of a German sense of precision and clarity that allows the music to avoid sinking under its own weight into bathos and sentimental mush. And yet I still appreciate the Romantic approach of Bernstein or Gergiev as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by stlukesguild
I will nail my colours to the mast of romanticism although, of course, one cannot forget that its basis is in the classicism of Bach, his German antecedents and those of the Italian renaissance.
Do I listen to Bach, Mozart etc.? Well of course I do, but it must be clear that instrumental development throughout the 19th century enabled a quantum leap in musical expression. Inevitably, the small tightly controlled Court orchestra of Haydn's time became a thing of the past, even though Haydn's music would henceforth determine the development of the symphony and continue to be greatly performed. Much as we may love Mozart's music, by the time that Richard Strauss wrote his Alpine symphony (1915), the orchestra had reached a peak of perfection that, whatever the aesthetic content of the 'classicists', they couldn't match the sheer magnificence of modern orchestral sound until they ran into the dead-end of German musical expressionism. This leaves Richard Strauss as the last great German musical genius in a line going back to J S Bach and Telemann .
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Recently I've been fleshing out my collection of Mahler. I've long had every symphony by him, but in many cases I had but a single recording of these. As Mahler's grown in my esteem I've found myself wanting to explore alternative recordings... especially of my favorite symphonies.
In this instance the recording is of a live performance by Bruno Walter with the Vienna Phiharmonic performing in Vienna in 1938. This particular recording has great historical worth. It was Bruno Walter who gave this symphony its first performance a year after Mahler's death. This performance was the swansong of the Vienna Philharmonic under their great conductor, Walter. A few weeks after this recording, Walter showed up as a bewildered refugee in Paris. A few weeks after that the Germans annexed Austria and there was no chance of hearing Mahler performed by the Vienna Philharmonic until the end of the war.
The sound on this recording is surprisingly good considering both the date of the recording and the fact that it was recorded live. Of course Dutton was famous for the quality of its recordings. While the sound can be a bit "sharp" at times, there is a real sense of depth to the orchestra... something quite rare in orchestral recordings prior to the 1950s. The performance itself is edgy, tense, and laden with emotion.
I would not choose this recording as my sole recording of the 9th... but it is a fabulous musical document.
I was listening recently to a performance of this work on the radio and it was an enjoyable experience. Then someone on Youtube mentioned this video and I have to ask myself why the hell couldn't I have been there when this was being played? Another truly astounding finale to a Mahler symphony.
http://youtu.be/JyJYeB4oJT0
Yes, Bychkov is a real up-and-coming figure. Perhaps just behind Valery Gegiev among Russian conductors. His recent recording of Wagner's Lohengrin garnered a wealth of praise in the classical press both in the US and the UK. Beside Wagner, he seems quite admired for his performance of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, Strauss' Alpine Symphony (although it would have to be absolutely spectacular to surpass Karajan's iconic recording), and symphonies of Mahler and Shostakovitch.
Speaking of Gergiev... he is an absolutely mercurial and explosive conductor. His turbo-charged Nutcracker absolutely revitalized that work for me, and he has worked wonders with a great wealth of Russian composers and especially Russian ballet and opera. I can't think of any single figure who has done more for Russian music in my life time. Hell... he even "discovered" Anna Netrebko!!
Like all great conductors, Gergiev looks like a real character. Quite often he appears like a homeless man stuffed into a suit... with a week or two worth of facial stubble:
http://sverigesradio.se/diverse/appd...96_520_347.jpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7Uz3qGsu5Q
I'll always love this work... yet the best version I have ever heard was that of the Cleveland Orchestra playing at a white-hot fevered pitch under Christoph von Dohnanyi... live from the first row. My hair was absolutely standing upon end.
Some time ago, I posted the Bychkov performance of the Alpine. I know it seems impossible, but it IS better than Karajan's with the BPO: the same orchestra conducted by Bychkov. If anyone had told me that it superseded Karajan's performance I would have told them to get lost. Unfortunately, for contractual reasons the BPO are unable to issue it on a DVD, despite the impassioned pleas of Youtube watchers who have given an overwhelming response to the short excerpt the BPO management have put out on Youtube; they are worth reading. However, it is possible to hire the whole performance from the Berlin management by paying so many Euros but as usual with these things, it means jumping through hoops. Anyway, here it is and to my mind it is the greatest performance of any orchestral piece committed to Youtube. I have watched it many times and will continue to do so.
http://youtu.be/xK7z2NhUrsQ
One version that you didn't mention (that is excellent) is Paolo Beschi's period instrument recording. Highly recommended.Quote:
Originally Posted by stlukesguild
Been listening to a lot of J.C Bach lately: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyYvMNv82mQ
Hmmm... from what I've been able to listen to of Paolo Beschi's performance of Bach's cello suites, I'm quite intrigued. Now can I justify yet another recording?:willy_nilly:
You can always justify another Bach recording!Quote:
Originally Posted by stlukesguild
Except that have almost 300 of them now.:nonod:
I gave a listen to the Zubin Mehta recording of Mahler's 2nd Symphony today...
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Damn! That thin was played at a white heat. Absolutely stunning. It was one of those musical experiences that left me so drained afterwards that I could only sit in silence for a while. When I eventually popped Vasily Petrenko's recording of Shostakovitch' 6th and 12th into the CD player it seemed so anti-climactic that I'll definitely need to give it another listen later... under different circumstances. Brian... you would surely love Mehta's performance. All fire and drama... no holds barred>
I've been hearing a lot about this soprano Katherine Jenkins now that she's competing on Dancing with the Stars (and, yes, I too think its a travesty that she has to appear in such drivel to gain any kind of popular fame), so I searched her on YouTube to see what the fuss is about.
I think I'm in love.
She's actually a very popular classical crossover singer in England.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mutatis-Mutandis
"In England" being the key words, there. I guess I should've clarified and said fame in the USA. We're not in the habit of making opera or classical artists well known sales, unless it's Yo-Yo Ma.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dark Star
Unfortunately, Katherine Jenkins' finest "assets" are not to be found in her singing:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jp66PZgtEf...And+Height.jpg
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/...s687549656.jpg
http://greenobles.com/data_images/ka...jenkins-03.jpg
A female equivalent to Andrea Bocelli.
Got to agree, and although the sound quality on YouTube isn't good, it's an incredible performance. Those last bars are so powerful they seem to sweep one into eternity; which I guess is what Mahler intended. Mehta was also fortunate in having Ludwig and Cotrubas as solo singers as they were both out of the very top drawer at the time of recording.Quote:
Originally Posted by stlukesguild
Why? What's wrong with her singing? I don't know that person you named....Quote:
Originally Posted by stlukesguild
Like the singer I mentioned, Andrea Bocelli... or Sarah Brightman... Jenkin's is a classical cross-over artist... or what is referred to in the classical world as a "Popera singer". As a pop singer, her abilities are more than adequate. Within the world of classical vocalists she is seriously lacking. First she is wholly dependent upon the microphone. The real opera singer must be able to project regardless of where she is in the theater or on stage... or what she is expected to do in terms of acting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTAYNoZSQTA
Jenkins is then limited... from what I have heard of her... to an easier, less demanding repertoire. It is more than doubtful that she has the stamina to pull off a heroic role such as demanded by Wagner or Richard Strauss. And certainly she has shown no ability to perform one of the roles that demand a degree of vocal pyrotechnics. Just watch as the brilliant Diana Damrau tears up one of the most difficult arias ever composed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvuKxL4LOqc
Seriously, Jenkins could probably be quite good at some secondary, less demanding roles... or certainly as part of the chorus or a vocal group. As it stands now she's dependent upon the microphone, added reverb, schmaltzy saccharine settings, and autotune, which uses computer software to alter the pitch in vocal performances (originally intended to disguise off-key inaccuracies, allowing vocal tracks to be perfectly tuned despite originally being slightly off-key... employed by many pop singers of limited vocal abilities).
If Jenkins was truly serious about becoming an opera singer, she would do well to focus more on classical vocals as opposed to all the pop music... but one cannot blame her... the path she has taken will undoubtedly result in far greater success than if she were to focus on a classical music career. I think a lot of classical fans are irritated by the manner in which she is marketed by her PR and idiotic TV commentators as a brilliant opera singer although she has never once sang in an opera. At the same time, she has made dismissive comments toward critics suggesting that she is bringing opera to a new audience (in other words, bringing pseudo-opera to an audience that doesn't like opera) and making snide remarks about true classical vocalists... while repeatedly stating that when her voice matures (she's in her 30s now) she wants to sing opera at La Scala. The reality is that if she were serious, she'd be singing in the chorus... or in smaller regional theaters.
Now here is Jenkins performing O mio babbino caro. The performance is mediocre... not bad... although her use of vibrato is ridiculous.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lJ9oFzMVU0
Compare with Anna Netrebko... who is far from the finest at the Italian repertoire:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-4TS...eature=related
Another truly fine example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRuYQ...eature=related
Now I can appreciate that Jenkins is a real looker... but then again Opolais (see above) wasn't bad... and Netrebko in her prime was an absolute stunner:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWnWi...eature=related
Okay, totally get where you're coming from. And I do agree . . . Jenkins doesn't really compare to the examples you gave.
Out of curiosity (and I ask this because I suspect you enjoy making such lists as I do perusing them), who are the best opera singers right now, make and female? I've watched a few operas, but I haven't really learned the "who's who," if you will, of the opera world. The only contemporary name I know of is Placido Domingo. I would know a few others if I saw there names, and I'm definitely better at recognizing a singer by their face (I probably know 20 or so that I would go, "Oh yeah, I remember him/her."
And, if you feel like it, who were the best of the past? I know Pavarotti was just awesome. I also know of a woman named Reneta Tebaldi, but that's only because her name has been mentioned on Frasier.
I've noticed with opera I really don't have a refined ear at all. I've been pretty impressed by every opera singer I've seen (though, all the operas I've watched have been recorded or simulcast from The Met, and I doubt many slouches get to perform there)--hell, I'm usually blown away by them--but then I'll look up reviews and read so-and-so was off or so-and-so was weak, and I think, really? They sounded good to me.
This is not surprising. The reality of the professional opera world is that standards are so high that anyone who 'makes it' will be quite talented, even if individual performances are mediocre. As a result of this, many of the flaws present in a particular performance require a trained eye and ear (and extensive knowledge of the repertoire) that neither you or I possess.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mutatis-Mutandis
Two names come to mind off the top of my head for past greats:
Hans Hotter (beautiful, powerful baritone) and the Wagnerian soprano Birgite Nilsson, though I should note that her voice is not particularly accessible. She is very powerful and that will take some getting used to, but the effort is worth it.
Edit: I'm not going to bother arguing over whether she is among the greatest or not, but Nuria Rial is a fine, living soprano that is worth your time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-eoc...eature=related
She ain't bad looking, either...:biggrin5: