Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #27)

The London Philharmonic Orchestra label masters their discs at very low volume as well. Last night I had Tennstedt's Beethoven 9th on headphones and had the volume up to three-quarters... sounded heavenly though.

 

A lovely Kinderszenen.

 

Definitely the Reiner, Cliburn, and Heifetz. The Tchaikovsky is Steinberg, no? I don't know it, or the Offenbach.

 

It's a great choice! Do you like any other Puccini as well? Tosca, Boheme, Turandot?

 

With the exception of Boheme, I haven't heard them, but I am anxious to hear more, especially if they are as beautiful as Madame Butterfly. Any suggestions?

My Opera section is pretty meager, just Fidelio, Aida, Rigoletto (thanks, Jay!), Die Tote Stadt and Pelleaus (Debussy), Lulu, Wozzeck, Lohengrin and Das Rheingold.

I'd love to get a few ultra-romantic operas.

 

"Tosca" first: On record there is the EMI studio recording with Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, and Tito Gobbi, sometimes cited as the greatest recording ever made, opera or otherwise, and almost certainly the biggest-selling complete opera recording there ever has been. For me the highlights are di Stefano and, even more so, Tito Gobbi, perhaps the greatest singing-actor in all of opera, with a voice perfectly suited to Scarpia. I have mixed feelings toward Callas. You will likely have a strong opinion one way or another. Alternatively there's a new release from the Met of a April 1962 broadcast with Leontyne Price and Franco Corelli. Price is phenomenal and I warmed up to Corelli. The Scarpia is Cornell MacNeil who just passed away and was a stalwart at the Met but is no match for Gobbi (to be fair, no one is). This is available for bargain price though there's no libretto (but it shouldn't be hard to find online).

"Turandot" I know less well on record but you may know that Pavarotti owned "Nessun Dorma," and his recording with Sutherland, and Mehta conducting, is excellent.

Not sure if you already have "Boheme" or not, but the Beecham recording is excellent; it's also worth checking out a DVD of the Zeffirelli production. There is one with Karajan conducting, which is excellent, and another from the Met with Carreras, and Levine conducting (which I have not heard yet).

Some pics below. I know you like singing so let me know what you think whenever you get around to some of these.

Speaking of remastered reissues, there has to be a zillion of this one . . .

 

First, thanks so much for all the info!!

For this, would you go with the original EMI or a remaster?

 

That's a pretty nice selection, though IMO you need more Italians! More Verdi and Puccini! And Mozart, "Don Giovanni" and "Figaro." The ultra-romantics tend to end badly, but while they're going . . . Didn't "Butterfly" end up in "Fatal Attraction"? There was a funny article last year, I don't remember where, which remarked on how often opera fans in movies are sadistic or insane. Anyway, back to the topic. You have "Butterfly" and "Aida"; you could add "Boheme" and "Tosca," and Verdi's "Traviata." For a date, "Boheme" is first choice, the others not far behind.

For "Traviata" on record you can't do better than the Covent Garden production with Angela Gheorghiu from a few years ago, conducted by Solti, available on both CD and DVD (go for the DVD, she's gorgeous ).

 

Just ordered a like new copy from amazon for $9.

 

I was running today while Butterfly was playing on my headphones and as the music rose, I suddenly remembered that dude from Seinfeld, "crazy Joe Devola" who would exercise while listening to opera.

Ordered for $7.66.

 

Nevermind, just read this over at amazon:

 

Boy, I don't really know, sorry . . . Right now the only one I have is the 2002 deluxe edition, remastered that same year, which came with some nice little picture postcards. I used to have the 1997 release as well but sold it (and it was before I was a SHTV member, so I did so without attempting to evaluate any difference in mastering!). Just checking on Amazon, it also appears there are 2003 and 2009 bargain releases . . . This may be the most reissued opera of all time! In any event, I think the 2002 release sounds very good, especially with respect to the voices. It is a 1953 mono recording but one of the very best mono opera recordings.

By the way, I think I referred to it above as a "studio" recording, by which I meant it is not live, but it actually was recorded at La Scala rather than in a studio. This is interesting because the Penguin Guide notes that there is a Naxos version that claims to be pitch-corrected. The Guide prefers the EMI release though due to the "immediate impact of the voices" and claims there is not much reason to think any real pitch-correction was needed, given the lack of indication that La Scala used a relatively high pitch. Anyhow I'd love to hear a comparison sometime, but I don't have the Naxos.

 

Thanks, Sean. I'm gonna grab an original EMI for that one.

BTW, checked my shelves again and found two more operas, La Boheme (HvK, Freni, Pavarotti) and Falstaff (HvK, Gobbi, Schwartzkopf, Penerai.)

 

Here's a review of one of the EMIs: http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=5055

Is that the one that you have?

From that review:

 

Flat? Really? Now I do want to compare. I just put on the 2002 version, and I certainly cannot tell. It's worth noting that the same engineer did the 1997 and 2002 transfers:

http://classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=5055

I see Amazon has an mp3 version of the 1997 recording, so I think I will download a track to check it out.

Both excellent!

 

Yep, that's the one. I am going to try to compare a track on the computer and will report back.

 

I'm gonna see what they got on Spotify.

Edit - yeah the 1997 is a lot better, more open, less NR.

 

You're welcome!

La Traviata is my favorite opera. Here are my longtime favorite and a newer one I like as well.

 

Just found this over at rmcr, it speaks to the fixed pitch on the Naxos issue of Tosca:

 

From the Naxos website (re: Callas, Tosca, 1953):

Review of the same set from MusicWeb: http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2004/Mar04/Puccini_tosca_Callas.htm

 

So I've had an interesting evening here, discussing "Tosca" releases with George, trying to compare "Dammi i colori . . ." from the 1997 and 2002 EMI CD releases, while intermittently listening to the Yanks vs. Sox, a game that would be so much more gripping if there were no wild card . . . but that's for another forum. On the EMI releases: I can't tell a difference in SQ. I can tell however that the tracks I compared are not different as regards pitch, speed, timing. The information about the Naxos release is compelling, however, so I've placed an order for it from Amazon UK.

 

You a Sox fan, too?

I hadn't realized they were doing so well, as I don't have cable and I don't read the newspaper.

 

they won tonight with a walk-off hit in the 10th .i'm for anybody that beats the Yankees.

 

I like the Netrebko one as well.