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Re: What are you listening two?
Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2015 4:34 pm
by fergus
Jose Echenique wrote:
Antonio Salieri composed Les Danaïdes under the tutelage of his teacher Gluck. The libreto was written for Gluck, but he was already tired and disenchanted with the Paris Opera, so he let his pupil compose it.
The funny thing is that Gluck presented the opera as his own to prevent booing for Salieri just because he was Italian. The opera was a success and after the sixth performance Gluck revealed the truth. By then it was too late for the antipiccinnists to sabotage it [Piccinni was a contemporary of Gluck who was also active in the 1780´s in Paris, the French who love a good match soon took sides between Gluck and Piccinni, though the composers who respected each other couldn´t care less].
So, Les Danaïdes composed in late Gluck style was admired and performed for several decades in Paris, as late as 1828 it was still being performed and even the obnoxious Hector Berlioz liked it.
Surprisingly this is the fourth recording of Les Danaïdes, in the late 80´s Giangluigi Gelmetti made the first recording on modern instruments for EMI, then a few years ago Michael Hofstetter made a very good recording in the Ludwigsburg Festival for the OEHMS label, and Dynamic recently released yet another one once more with Gelmetti conducting and a much past her prime Montserrat Caballé as the heroine.
That Rousset´s was going to be the best of all was an easy guess. Les Talens Lyriques play superbly, the singers are all excellent, and the audio quality state of the art.
Next to the Catone in Utica this is already one of the best opera recordings of the year.
That is a lovely story about Gluck Pepe.
Anything that I have heard with Rousset / Les Talens Lyriques has been great so I am not surprised that you are impressed with this performance.
Re: What are you listening two?
Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2015 4:34 pm
by fergus
Shostakovich: "Leningrad" Symphony / Berglund....
Re: What are you listening two?
Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2015 6:37 pm
by fergus
Rimsky-Korsakov: Schehazade / Svetlanov....
Re: What are you listening two?
Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2015 7:00 pm
by Seán
fergus wrote:Rimsky-Korsakov: Schehazade / Svetlanov....
Was that recorded in the Royal Festival Hall in 1978? If so, it is a fabulous rendition of that wonderful work.
Re: What are you listening two?
Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2015 7:02 pm
by Seán
Serge Prokofiev
Symphony No. 5
Gürzenich-Orchester Köln
Dmitrij Kitajenko conducting.
This is a wonderfully powerful performance of this lovely work
Re: What are you listening two?
Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2015 7:18 pm
by Jose Echenique
Seán wrote:
Serge Prokofiev
Symphony No. 5
Gürzenich-Orchester Köln
Dmitrij Kitajenko conducting.
This is a wonderfully powerful performance of this lovely work
For me the benchmark for the Fifth is Celibidache either in Munich or Stuttgart, but I haven't heard this recording and it must surely be good.
Re: What are you listening two?
Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2015 8:31 pm
by Seán
Jose Echenique wrote:Seán wrote:
Serge Prokofiev
Symphony No. 5
Gürzenich-Orchester Köln
Dmitrij Kitajenko conducting.
This is a wonderfully powerful performance of this lovely work
For me the benchmark for the Fifth is Celibidache either in Munich or Stuttgart, but I haven't heard this recording and it must surely be good.
It is a very enjoyable performance Pepe. I don't have any recorded performances of Celibidache, in fact I was put off the idea by the great and the good on CMG.
Re: What are you listening two?
Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2015 8:33 pm
by Seán
Sergei Rachmaninov
Symphony No. 2
Russian State Symphony Orchestra
Evgeny Svetlanov conducting.
Re: What are you listening two?
Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2015 10:05 pm
by fergus
Seán wrote:fergus wrote:Rimsky-Korsakov: Schehazade / Svetlanov....
Was that recorded in the Royal Festival Hall in 1978? If so, it is a fabulous rendition of that wonderful work.
I honestly do not know Seán. There is no such information on the vinyl sleeve. The only clue is that it was issued in 1979 which would certainly tie in with a Royal Festival Hall performance in 1978. Either way, it is indeed a wonderful performance!
Re: What are you listening two?
Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2015 10:32 pm
by fergus
Vivaldi: Serenata a Tre....
This is a very interesting work. The Serenata a Tre is set for 2 soprano voices, 1 tenor voice, 2 horns, oboe, bassoon, strings and continuo. The work is of a high standard and Vivaldi was obviously serious about it. In terms of form it is unusual in that it falls somewhere between the cantatas and the operas. Warmly recommended for a listen.