What are you listening to?

[bombasticDarren]

Debussy - Images (Jos van Immerseel, Anima Eterna, Zig-Zag Territoires)

[Ciaran]

Was tempted to go this in the NCH last night but that dreadful organ they have put me off. A shame really.

It was a most enjoyable concert, particularly for Ilya Gringolts in the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, but the Organ Symphony was fine too: Hannu Lintu rarely disappoints. It's just that I much prefer the Tchaikovsky as a work. The crowd was quite large by recent standards!

[Jose Echenique]

Continuing with Verdi, I chose his early Schiller-based drama I Masnadieri. This is still rarely performed, certainly because of the enormous vocal difficulties of the 2 leads. There are only 2 major recordings, and both are formidable. This one dates back from 1974, and offers everybody´s Verdi dream team: the great Carlo Bergonzi, Montserrat Caballé in her absolute prime and the fabulous Verdi baritone Piero Cappuccilli. The other recording is slightly newer and already digital, from 1982, with Franco Bonisolli, Dame Joan Sutherland and Matteo Manuguerra. When it first appeared no one thought it could match the glories of the Philips, but it turned out exceptionally good too. Carlo Bergonzi was the finest Verdi tenor of the 20th Century, his aristocratic sense of Verdian style, his superb musicianship and gorgeous voice made him an act tough to follow. Franco Bonisolli on the other hand was one of the most unreliable and capricious of Diva-Tenors, that he also possessed one of the most glorious lirico-spinto voices since Franco Corelli made him also one of the most sought after tenors of the 70´s. In this particular recording he can be heard at his best, and in his best behavior. His powerful, manly, spinto voice is something that not even Domingo or Pavarotti possessed, in fact those glorious ringing top notes have not been heard since he retired.
Montserrat Caballé was captured in glorious form. In fact this I Masnadieri can be counted next to her Aida, Luisa Miller, La Bohéme, Elisabetta Regina d´Inghilterra and Cosi fan Tutte as one of her very best recordings. Sutherland on the DECCA was caught a little bit past her prime, but since this role was written for Jenny Lind whom Sutherland is said to recall, it fits her to perfection.
Both baritones are superb, but Cappuccilli´s voice records better.
I was listening this afternoon to the MET´s live Trovatore. Both these recordings seem to belong to different galaxies from what today passes for Verdi singing.
The almost 40 year old Philips sound is state-of-the-art. I have heard far worse new digital recordings.
It´s priceless that we have these recordings. For the new generations this quality of Verdi singing is almost a fairy tale.

[fergus]

That´s very early Gardiner Fergus. I also have the original ERATO LP.

Is that one of your signed ones Pepe?

[fergus]

I was listening this afternoon to the MET´s live Trovatore. Both these recordings seem to belong to different galaxies from what today passes for Verdi singing.
.......
It´s priceless that we have these recordings. For the new generations this quality of Verdi singing is almost a fairy tale.

Has the quality of singing really deteriorated that much Pepe or is that you just being old and grumpy and I genuinely ask out of ignorance?!?!

[DaveF]

It was a most enjoyable concert, particularly for Ilya Gringolts in the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, but the Organ Symphony was fine too: Hannu Lintu rarely disappoints. It's just that I much prefer the Tchaikovsky as a work. The crowd was quite large by recent standards!

I got as far as the booking page on the NCH site and was suprised to see how few seats were left in the main stalls alright. I havent been in the NCH this season at all.

[Jared]

It was a most enjoyable concert, particularly for Ilya Gringolts in the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto

yes, a few years ago, he brought out a superbly electric recording of the Tchaikovsky... iirc, BBC Mag Orchestral Recording of the Month at the time:



possibly still my fave recording, and I also own the Repin...

[fergus]

It has been a long time since I have played this one....





It is a wonderful, powerful performance and the line up is as follows....

[Jose Echenique]

That´s very early Gardiner Fergus. I also have the original ERATO LP.

Is that one of your signed ones Pepe?

No, unfortunately I don´t have Sir John´s signature on that one Fergus.

[Jose Echenique]

I was listening this afternoon to the MET´s live Trovatore. Both these recordings seem to belong to different galaxies from what today passes for Verdi singing.
.......
It´s priceless that we have these recordings. For the new generations this quality of Verdi singing is almost a fairy tale.

Has the quality of singing really deteriorated that much Pepe or is that you just being old and grumpy and I genuinely ask out of ignorance?!?!

I really wish I could say that I´m just being grumpy, but unfortunately not, compared to the 70´s we live in a vocal desert, at least when the names of Verdi and Wagner are mentioned. In Baroque Opera it´s quite the opposite, with the likes of Joyce DiDonato, Roberta Invernizzi, Sara Mingardo, etc., this is a Golden Age.