What are you listening two?

[Jared]

[Diapason]

Tallis Scholars singing Josquin here. I had no recollection of the disc when I spotted it on the shelf, so it may be a previous "bargain thread impulse purchase". Enjoying it anyway.

[Jared]

Tallis Scholars singing Josquin here. I had no recollection of the disc when I spotted it on the shelf, so it may be a previous "bargain thread impulse purchase". Enjoying it anyway.

yes, if it is the Tallis Scholars, then it might have something to do with me. I expect it was one of those lazy Sunday afternoons whilst I was enthusing about his Missa Pange lingua or some such... glad you're enjoying it, anyway!

[Diapason]

You did cross my mind, Jared!

[Jose Echenique]

Rosenkavalier, Strauss´homage to Mozart and Vienna, is quite consciously a very different opera, as Die Frau ohne schatten is from both of them (that is Elektra). Rosenkavalier is a far more lovable opera, and therefore has proven more popular in the long run, but if you have a soprano capable of a credible performance as Elektra, and a sensitive conductor who won´t make the score sound as Heavy Metal, then Elektra can also give rich rewards.

What recommendation would you propose for Elektra so Pepe?

The Birgit Nilsson/Solti has been the classic recording for over half a century, but I prefer the Sawallisch with Eva Marton.

[Jose Echenique]

Well, yesterday I listened to the absolutely wonderful Freiburger Barockorchester, a living marvel.
They performed a suite from Reinhard Keiser´s opera Croesus, Handel´s Concerto Grosso Op.6 #1, Telemann´s concerto TWV 54 D3, and his suite-ouverture La Bourse, Locatelli´s Sinfonia Funebre and Rameau´s chaconne from Les Indes Galantes.
The strings were to die for, the trumpets unbelievable, and Lord, those oboes!!!!
As you can see from the picture the audience went wild.
From Mexico City they return to Germany to start their autumn season, with Le Nozze di Figaro conducted by René Jacobs.

[mcq]

I'm very fond of the series of excerpts from Elektra and Salome that Reiner recorded with Inge Borkh for RCA.  These are incredibly powerful performances that serve as a wonderful taster for these operatic masterpieces.  I have also read reports that the complete performance of Elektra that Borkh recorded with Mitropoulos at Salzburg in 1957 (available on Orfeo) is among the greatest versions ever recorded of this work.  Have you heard this performance, Jose?

[Jose Echenique]

I'm very fond of the series of excerpts from Elektra and Salome that Reiner recorded with Inge Borkh for RCA.  These are incredibly powerful performances that serve as a wonderful taster for these operatic masterpieces.  I have also read reports that the complete performance of Elektra that Borkh recorded with Mitropoulos at Salzburg in 1957 (available on Orfeo) is among the greatest versions ever recorded of this work.  Have you heard this performance, Jose?

Yes of course, and it´s certainly great, but personally I find even more thrilling the live Martha Mödl/Karajan also in Orfeo. Mödl was an uneven soprano vocally, but temperamentally she was a volcano, and her over-the-top Elektra is almost scary.
Eva Marton also had a "hysteric quality" in her voice that made her very apt for roles like Elektra and Turandot, (but not for Salomé or Tosca). One of the reasons I like the Sawallisch recording of Elektra so much is that he gives a very transparent performance, less "thick" than the Solti, and the modern digital recording is definitely a plus over the early 60´s Solti recording.

[fergus]

Thank you for the recommendations on Elektra guys and I will investigate them individually in due course. I should say that it is the Solti version that I own and is the one that I am running away from LOL!

[fergus]

That concert is one that I definitely envy you Pepe; also duly noted that you were seated in among all the ladies my friend!!