i stand warned
From an email promo for Washington National Opera’s current production of Elektra:
See Susan Bullock and Christine Goerke Sing Elektra!
Washington National Opera stars Susan Bullock and Christine Goerke are featured in these extended excerpts and interviews from a recent production of Strauss’ Elektra in Florence, Italy, directed by Robert Carsen and conducted by Seiji Ozawa. Note: The interviews and subtitles are in Italian, and Clip Two contains nudity.
But, on the other hand, La Cieca thinks perhaps (just perhaps) nudity might be preferable to some of the costuming for this production, which our informant describes as “a particularly overwrought drag show.”
Sadly, Sinopoli’s Elektra was not his best moment due to inadequate singers. Vastly superior is the EMI/Sawallisch with Marton, Lipovsek and Studer, the latter a magnificent exponent of Chrysothemis. Even better is the video from Vienna conducted by Claudio Abbado with Marton, Fassbaender and, once again, Studer as Chrysothemis. It’s out on DVD and there are excerpts on YouTube. Not to be missed or dismissed.
As predictable as she is, I have to agree with Marshie about the Sawallisch Elektra. I have about eight recordings of the opera, and Studer is a stand-out Chrysothemis. I get chills whenever I listen to her sing the “Kinder will ich haben!” sequence.
8 recordings of the same opera??? not me… just one of each…sometimes i cant decide which OPERA to listen to, I sure dont need to then decide which version to go with!
much as I tried, I could not watch the clips. Are they on youTube or can someone post them?
High C’s. Give it time.
You’ve only been into this opera thing for eight years. It all starts with an opera that has at least two must-have interpreters, like say Sutherland/Callas in a number of bel canto roles or Tebaldi/Calls in a number of verismo roles. And once you open the floodgates, there’s no turning back.
So… i do have over 125 different cds, which alone takes up 6 shelves above the stereo… where do you all keep these mass recordings… and im sure with the older sect theres vinyl and reel to reel… does everyone have a second bedroom for opera storage ? I would imagine one duplicate would open the floodgates… just why i havent done it yet.
Amen to not being able to turn back! I am in the process of moving and my opera/classical CDs are becoming a cumbersome treasure. I think Traviatas are around ten different recordings, Aida around six, and four Tristans! Not to mention the off-the-air cassettes, CDs, and broadcasts on VHS tapes. I do sometimes wonder what I will do with all this glorious shit!
Everytime I read about a Trovatore or Tosca recording that looks tempting, I have to remind myself that I already have 10 recordings of each and should perhaps spend my money on something else. I’m sure that’s nothing compared to some people on this site. I have a friend who has around a hundred different recording of Four Last Song!!!
High C’s Wait till you have the problem of choosing for instance 15 or 16 Don Giovanni’s, 10 Otello’s, 6 Pelleas & Melisandes’ or 13 Ring cycles to listen to. At least by the time you get back to each one of them, ‘everything looks new again’. It also shows in sharp relief, standards rise and fall and that the greatest 15 year period for opera in the 20th Century was from say 1955 -70. Just have a think, a mental quiz about the roll call of singers available at that time ever established on the scene or coming onto it -then compare it with today’s drought.
The best recorded Strauss Electras’ were Nilsson and Borkh. If I am not mistaken the Solti/ Nilsson and Sawallisch / Marton versions are the only two to record the extra but normally cut 7 minutes of the score. People have mentioned Agnes Baltsa in this discussion. If one wants to hear real ‘pig filth’ singing, listen to a Sony CD recital of Baltsa & Carreras conducted by Domingo from 1992….an singing embarassment from worn voices: that should never have been released.
High C’s @ 4:20 whispered:
8 recordings of the same opera??? not me… just one of each…sometimes i cant decide which OPERA to listen to, I sure dont need to then decide which version to go with!
High C’s : I envy your present space situation, where once I would have envied my present situation. Having seven and a half thousand Cds and about two thousand vinyl. Forget about the rest…the tapes and DVDs. I have all of them in two seperate rooms plus lining the three walls of the listening room. They make for good ascoutic wall treatment though. Thinking of shifting: is not an nightmare option, I could consider,or ever contemplate. We pay for having a ‘more is not enough’ acquisitiveness.
High C’s4:20 squawked:
“So… i do have over 125 different cds, which alone takes up 6 shelves above the stereo… where do you all keep these mass recordings… and im sure with the older sect theres vinyl and reel to reel… does everyone have a second bedroom for opera storage ?”