Classical Music & Opera Forums

mogliettina wrote:" The newer works don't have any emotional highs and lows, they just meander around in a kind of Xanax daze."

That is so beautifully and aptly put DD. I shall hope to use it in the future. (all due credit of course)

On the contrary. Dead Man Walking was a masterpiece, if I may say so even though one of my singers was in the starring role.

That said, it's the first opera to really effect me emotionally since Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmelites. I'm just saying...(although Tan Dun's First Emperor had some nice effects).

I have no doubt that Moses und Aaron is a great work. But I must confess that its idiom escapes me and it interests me not at all. I have listened to it on three occasions and at this point, at least, I have no desire to go back and tackle it again. Too much other music I want to hear, too little time.

Moses and Aaron

I feel the same about it as Calvert. I saw it a number of years back at the Met and have no desire to hear it again.In fact, I can't think of any recent opera that I'd care to see again. We'll be at the Met Turandot tomorrow. Now, That's an opera! (of the ungesamt kind,of course.)

manh1948 wrote:Moses and Aaron

I feel the same about it as Calvert. I saw it a number of years back at the Met and have no desire to hear it again.In fact, I can't think of any recent opera that I'd care to see again. We'll be at the Met Turandot tomorrow. Now, That's an opera! (of the ungesamt kind,of course.)

Now there's an interesting comment. I wonder how many are not interested in seeing todays's produced operas again and again.
Frankly, I cannot get enough of Dialogues, Don Carlo, Otello, Turandot, Butterfly, Consul. I will see them almost anytime they are offered, even one that isn't top notch.
Now if only they'd offer my Mefistofele...

mogliettina wrote:

manh1948 wrote:Moses and Aaron

I feel the same about it as Calvert. I saw it a number of years back at the Met and have no desire to hear it again.In fact, I can't think of any recent opera that I'd care to see again. We'll be at the Met Turandot tomorrow. Now, That's an opera! (of the ungesamt kind,of course.)

Now there's an interesting comment. I wonder how many are not interested in seeing todays's produced operas again and again.
Frankly, I cannot get enough of Dialogues, Don Carlo, Otello, Turandot, Butterfly, Consul. I will see them almost anytime they are offered, even one that isn't top notch.
Now if only they'd offer my Mefistofele...

I have no objection to new infusions into the repertory, whether they be revivals of old, forgotten operas or new works. My comment was strictly limited to Moses und Aaron.

And I have no desire to see any opera that is not well-cast and well-conducted, unless I am making its acquaintance for the first time. The idea of sitting through an indifferently-cast and -conducted Don Carlo is, to me, positively purgatorial. I'd rather stay home and watch House re-runs, or do something useful like clean out and reorganize the kitchen drawers.

mogliettina wrote:Frankly, I cannot get enough of Dialogues, Don Carlo, Otello, Turandot, Butterfly, Consul. I will see them almost anytime they are offered, even one that isn't top notch.

I'm a little disappointed that Falstaff -- unquestionably Verdi's finest work -- is missing from your list.



(But then I've always found it to be as addictive (almost) as Pelleas et Melisande so maybe I should just keep my mouth shut)

Mogliettina

Phila. produced one of the most beautiful tenor voices ever in Lanza, and NYC, possibly the most beautiful baritone voice, Merrill. That said, don't you think a victory parade down lower Broadway is more exciting than one on Broad Street.?

manh1948 wrote:Mogliettina

Phila. produced one of the most beautiful tenor voices ever in Lanza, and NYC, possibly the most beautiful baritone voice, Merrill. That said, don't you think a victory parade down lower Broadway is more exciting than one on Broad Street.?

Never, Ever, EVER!

Cal: It was ManH who made that statement, not you. As for my accepting a less-than-stellar production of those I listed, I know it seems perverse on my part, (probably really is) but the orchestration in those listed are so powerful to me, I could actually keep my eyes shut if necessary and still enjoy, figuring that someone in the cast will always be worth the ticket.

Eric: I do like Falstaff but I think you will notice that my list does not include comedies, just real tragic operas, which are my favorite ones by a longshot.

Yes, yes, it's the music! It's Puccini's powerful choruses, even if Nilsson and Corelli aren't singing. In Tosca,e.g.the Te Deum is so powerful, it's irrelevant to me if Scarpia hugs, kisses, humps or goes down on the Madonna for 3 seconds as long as he's not wearing a tux or talking on his cell phone.I've seen Turandot quite a number of times these past 25 yrs.and whether Sharon Sweet, Jane Eaglen, Rebecca Copley, Eva Marton, Johann(?)Johansson, Richard Margison, Dimitrova, Pavarotti,Domingo, etc. sings,I am overwhelmed by the music, something I can't say about any of the new operas I've heard and have zero desire to hear again.

manh1948 wrote:Yes, yes, it's the music! It's Puccini's powerful choruses, even if Nilsson and Corelli aren't singing. In Tosca,e.g.the Te Deum is so powerful, it's irrelevant to me if Scarpia hugs, kisses, humps or goes down on the Madonna for 3 seconds as long as he's not wearing a tux or talking on his cell phone.I've seen Turandot quite a number of times these past 25 yrs.and whether Sharon Sweet, Jane Eaglen, Rebecca Copley, Eva Marton, Johann(?)Johansson, Richard Margison, Dimitrova, Pavarotti,Domingo, etc. sings,I am overwhelmed by the music, something I can't say about any of the new operas I've heard and have zero desire to hear again.

By George, he's got it!

homo aestheticus wrote:I'm a little disappointed that Falstaff -- unquestionably Verdi's finest work -- is missing from your list.

"Unquestionably?" I question that statement.

Here is an exciting performance, from the Bing Gala in 1972, of the Forza duet (part of it, anyway), with Tucker and Merrill. Merrill sounds a bit worn, but Tucker is extraordinary, especially considering that he was nearly 60 at the time. Story has it that before they went on stage, Tucker grabbed Merrill and said, "Bob, let's go out there an knock their socks off!" They certainly did.

calvert wrote:Here is an exciting performance, from the Bing Gala in 1972, of the Forza duet (part of it, anyway), with Tucker and Merrill. Merrill sounds a bit worn, but Tucker is extraordinary, especially considering that he was nearly 60 at the time. Story has it that before they went on stage, Tucker grabbed Merrill and said, "Bob, let's go out there an knock their socks off!" They certainly did.

Totally spectacular! Who can do it that way today?

mogliettina wrote:

calvert wrote:Here is an exciting performance, from the Bing Gala in 1972, of the Forza duet (part of it, anyway), with Tucker and Merrill. Merrill sounds a bit worn, but Tucker is extraordinary, especially considering that he was nearly 60 at the time. Story has it that before they went on stage, Tucker grabbed Merrill and said, "Bob, let's go out there an knock their socks off!" They certainly did.

Totally spectacular! Who can do it that way today?

Now, if Merrill could only count and even begin to approximate note values......By then Merrill was the sloppiest singer on the stage of the MET, coasting on his reputation.

Oh joy -- one gets to see the fuzzy picture in triplicate.

Calvert,

calvert wrote:

homo aestheticus wrote:I'm a little disappointed that Falstaff -- unquestionably Verdi's finest work -- is missing from your list.

"Unquestionably?" I question that statement.

There has never been any doubt in my mind that Falstaff is Verdi's best opera. But please do not misunderstand me: I adore Otello, Don Carlo, Simon Boccanegra, Aida and the Requiem (and I came to know those works first) but there are just so many intoxicating subtleties (and no weak moments at all) in Falstaff.

The opening scene alone in The Garter Inn! -- I could never give up such fabulous music for much in the other works.

Well, The New York City Opera will open tonight with a performance of a very obscure work -- Hugo Weisgall's Esther. Although I've never heard a single note of it, so I can't judge, am I the only one who finds this choice inexplicable ?

I do have one Weisgall opera recording on my shelf: The Stronger and I've never been convinced of its creative worth and can't say that I'm holding out much hope for Esther.

Does anyone have any idea what the administrators/management at NYCO are thinking ?

homo aestheticus wrote:Well, The New York City Opera will open tonight with a performance of a very obscure work -- Hugo Weisgall's Esther. Although I've never heard a single note of it, so I can't judge, am I the only one who finds this choice inexplicable ?

I do have one Weisgall opera recording on my shelf: The Stronger and I've never been convinced of its creative worth and can't say that I'm holding out much hope for Esther.

Does anyone have any idea what the administrators/management at NYCO are thinking ?

You bet I do. What they're thinking -- or, rather, what Man-O-Steel is thinking -- is the need to prove George Steel every bit as progressive and innovative a General Manager as that fugitive Belgian bonbon, Gérard Mortier.

That's what they're thinking.

ACD

I think you're right, ACD.

I don't know why but I sort of feel insulted by what all of these managers and directors do...

<sigh>

pczipott wrote:Oh joy -- one gets to see the fuzzy picture in triplicate.

Precisely my reaction. That kind of inconsiderate forum conduct, innocent and unmalicious as it may be, drives me crazy. Ditto with those who post a link(s), and don't try it (them) out in the finished post(s) to make certain it's (they're) good (which must be done after every edit if the post is edited).

ACD