What are you listening to?

[Jose Echenique]

Or in present day anywhere...

[Jared]

Or in present day anywhere...

I agree Pepe, it's just that a number of Catholic chickens have been coming home to roost in recent years... the church is about the only thing that has oppressed the poor inhabitants of that beautiful country, more than the English have... :-(



Anyhow... I have just returned from a really wonderful evening at the Courtyard, Met screening of Verdi's Rigoletto, set in 1960's Las Vegas.... personally, I really think it worked very well (although Rigoletto is one of those stories which can easily be transported through time and place).. it's one of those p[roductions which I'd be happy to show someone who had never seen an opera before, and wanted to know what it's relevance would be today...

...thoroughly enjoyable evening, really.

[Jose Echenique]

Or in present day anywhere...

I agree Pepe, it's just that a number of Catholic chickens have been coming home to roost in recent years... the church is about the only thing that has oppressed the poor inhabitants of that beautiful country, more than the English have... :-(



Anyhow... I have just returned from a really wonderful evening at the Courtyard, Met screening of Verdi's Rigoletto, set in 1960's Las Vegas.... personally, I really think it worked very well (although Rigoletto is one of those stories which can easily be transported through time and place).. it's one of those p[roductions which I'd be happy to show someone who had never seen an opera before, and wanted to know what it's relevance would be today...

...thoroughly enjoyable evening, really.

I couldn´t go to see it because my family insisted in Les Miserables, and when Mama says she wants to see Les Mis, it´s Les Mis. Lord, the singing was atrocious, especially Russell Crowe´s who literally shames himself. None of the actors is really up to the vocal demands of their roles, and yet, everybody seemed to love the film. There was even spontaneous applause at the end!
I´m sure the Rigoletto will make it to Blu Ray, I´ll see it then, but I have no doubt that is was MUCH better sung than Les Mis LOL!!!

[Jared]

I´m sure the Rigoletto will make it to Blu Ray, I´ll see it then, but I have no doubt that is was MUCH better sung than Les Mis LOL!!!

Diana Damrau was the highlight for me, vocally... but it generally seemd to be good all round.

incidentally, do you have the strength of character to tell mama how bad the singing is, or do you studiously keep your own counsel?? ;-)

[Jose Echenique]

I´m sure the Rigoletto will make it to Blu Ray, I´ll see it then, but I have no doubt that is was MUCH better sung than Les Mis LOL!!!

Diana Damrau was the highlight for me, vocally... but it generally seemd to be good all round.

incidentally, do you have the strength of character to tell mama how bad the singing is, or do you studiously keep your own counsel?? ;-)

Oh, though her hearing at 89 is not what it used to be, it was obvious for her that Ann Hathaway and Hugh Jackman had serious vocal problems, and that poor Russell Crowe was worthy of Jean Valjean´s life sentence of hard labour.

[Jared]

Bellini: Oboe Concerto
Nicholas Daniel/ BBC Phil/ Leaper

Who'd have thought it? Bellini took time out from his Bel Canto repertoire to write a delightful little OC... Fergus??

[bombasticDarren]

Brahms - Symphony No.4 (Marin Alsop, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Naxos)

[Jared]

^^ is it you who'll be financing the redecs Darren, or do you have a nice landlord?

oops...

Czerny:
Symph No.1 in C minor op.780 'Grand'
Hempel/ Ulster Orchestra

[Jared]

Mozart: Symph No.34 in C
Six German Dances

Witt: Symphony in C 'Jena'

London Mozart Players/ Matthias Bamert

[fergus]

Bellini: Oboe Concerto
Nicholas Daniel/ BBC Phil/ Leaper

Who'd have thought it? Bellini took time out from his Bel Canto repertoire to write a delightful little OC... Fergus??

I know exactly where you are coming from with that Jared. I have a recording of that delightful work and Bellini does make that instrument sing in a most delightful and lyrical way. I am delighted that you have discovered it!