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beautiful operas, now more than 100

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Bart Gerritse

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Jul 15, 1992, 4:44:28 AM7/15/92
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A little while ago I posted a list with 100 beautiful operas, giving 1 good
performance for each. The list was drafted by Paul Korenhof, a dutch opera
critic. He selected the recordings using the following criteria:
1. If on a constant high level, his favourite version
2. If his favourite has serious flaws, then the second, etc.
3. All must be (have been) available on CD.

I have collected the responses on this list. Major contributors are Jon
Conrad, Vinh Nguyen and Charles Osborne (posted by Alak Chakravorty).

Barber Vanessa CO Mitropoulos/Steber/Gedda/Elias
Beethoven Fidelio PK,VN,CO Klemperer/Ludwig/Vickers/Frick
Bellini La Sonnambula PK Votto/Callas/Zaccaria/Cossoto/Monti
CO Bonynge/Sutherland/Pavarotti
Bellini Norma PK,VN,CO Serafin/Callas/Corelli/Ludwig
VN Serafin/Callas/Del Monaco/Stignani
Bellini I Puritani PK,VN,CO Bonynge/Sutherland/Pavarotti
Berg Wozzeck PK Abbado/Grundheber/Behrens
JC,CO Bohm/Fischer-Dieskau/Lear
Berg Lulu PK Boulez/Stratas/Minton
CO Bohm/Lear
Berlioz Les Troyens PK,VN,CO Davis/Vickers/Veasey
Berlioz Benvenuto... CO,PD Davis/Gedda/Massard/Eda-Pierre
Bernstein West Side Story CO Original Cast Recording
Bizet Carmen PK,JC Solti/Troyanos/Domingo/van Dam
VN /Victoria de los Angeles
CO Pretre/Callas/Gedda/Massard
Boito Mefistofele PK Rudel/Treigle/Domingo/Caballe
Britten Peter Grimes PK Davis/Vickers/Harper
JC,CO Britten/Pears/Watson
Britten The Prodigal... PK Britten/Pears/Shirley-Quirk
Britten The Turn of... JC Davis
Britten Billy Budd CO Britten/Pears/Glossop/Langdon
Britten Death in Venice CO Bedford/Pears/Shirley-Quirk
Britten A Midsummer... CO Britten/Deller/Harwood/Brannigan
Charpentier Louise PK Pretre/Cotrubas/Domingo/Berbie
Cilea Adriana Lec... PK Capuana/Tebaldi/Del Monaco
D'Albert Tiefland EB (Acanta)
Debussy Pelleas et... PK Dutoit/Alliot-Lugaz/Henry
CO Ensermet/Maurane/Spoorenberg
Delibes Lakme PK,VN Bonynge/Sutherland/Bacquier/Vanzo
Donizetti L'Elisir... VN Bonynge/Sutherland/Pavarotti/Cossa
CO Molinari-Pradelli/Gueden/diStefano
Donizetti Lucrezia Borgia PK Perlea/Caballe/Flagello/Kraus
VN,CO Bonynge/Sutherland/Arragall/Horne
Donizetti Lucia di... PK,VN Karajan/Callas/Di Stefano/Panerai
VN,CO Bonynge/Sutherland/Pavarotti/Milnes
Donizetti La Fille du... PK Campanella/Anderson/Kraus
VN,CO Bonynge/Sutherland/Pavarotti
Donizetti Don Pasquale PK Sabajno/Badini/Schipa/Poli
CO Kertesz/Sciutti/Corena/Oncina
Donizetti Anna Bolena VN Bonynge/Sutherland/Hadley
CO Varviso/Suliotis/Ghiaurov/Horne
Donizetti Mary Stuarda VN Bonynge/Sutherland/Pavarotti
Donizetti Roberto Dev... VN Rudel/Caballe/Carreras
Dvorak Rusalka PK Neuman/Novak/Benackova
Enesco Oedipe PK Foster/Van Dam/Bacquier/Gedda
Erkel Bank Ban PK Forencsik/Solyom-Nagy/Komlossy/Reti
Falla La Vide Breve PK Fruhbeck de Burgos/De Los Angeles
Gershwin Porgy and Bess PK Rattle/White/Haymon
JC DeMain
CO Maazel/White/Mitchell
Giordano Andrea Chenier PK Gavazeni/Del Monaco/Tebaldi
CO Levine/Scotto/Domingo/Milnes
Glinka A life for... PK Markevich/Christoff/Stich-Randall
Gluck Orfeo ed... PK Gardiner/Von Otter/Hendricks
CO de Froment/Gedda/Verrett/Moffo ???
JC Solti/Horne
Gluck Iphigenie... PK Gardiner/Montague/Allen/Aler
Gounod Romeo et... PK,VN Plasson/Kraus/Malfitano/Van Dam
Gounod Faust VN,CO Cluytens/de los Angeles/Gedda
Handel Flavio PK Jacobs/Gall/Ragin/Lootens
Handel Tamerlano PK Gardiner/Ragin/Robson/Argenta
Handel Giulio Cesare CO Bohm/Fischer-Dieskau/Seefried
Humperdinck Hansel und... PK Tate/Von Otter/Bonney/Lipovsek
CO Eichorn/Donath/Moffo/Ludwig
Humperdinck Konigskinder PK Walberg/Dallapozza/Donath/Prey
Janacek Jenufa PK,VN Mackerras/Soderstrom/Randova
Janacek The Cunning... PK Mackerras/Popp/Randova/Marova
Janacek From the... PK Mackerras/Zahradnicek/Zidek/Zitek
Lehar Lustige Witwe VN Matacic/Schwarzkopf/Gedda/Weachter
CO,JC Ackermann/Schwarzkopf/Kunz
Leoncavallo Pagliacci PK Cellini/Bjorling/De Los Angeles
CO Serafin/diStefano/Callas/Gobbi
Lortzing Der wildschutz PK Heger/Prey/Litz/Wunderlich
Lully Atys PK Christie/De Mey/Laurens/Mellon
Mascagni Cavalleria... PK Santini/De Los Angeles/Corelli
JC Karajan
JC /Tebaldi/Bjorling
CO Serafin/Callas/diStefano/Panerai
Massenet Manon PK,VN Monteux/De Los Angeles/Legay/Dens
VN Plasson/Cotrubas/Krauss/Quilico
CO Rudel/Sills/Gedda
Massenet Esclarmonde PK Bonynge/Sutherland/Tourangeau
Massenet Werther PK Plasson/Trotanos/Kraus/Manuguerra
VN Davis/von Stade/Carreras
CO Pretre/Gedda/De Los Angeles
Massenet Thais VN Etchevery/Doria/Vanzo/Massard
Menotti The Consul CO Engel/Neway
Meyerbeer L'Africaine CO Perisson/Verrett/Domingo
Meyerbeer Les Huguenots VN,CO Bonynge/Sutherland/Arroyo
Meyerbeer Le Prophete VN Lewis/Horne/McCracken/Scotto
Moussorgski Boris Godounov PK Cluytens/Christoff/Alexieva
CO Dobrowen/Christoff/Gedda
Moussorgski Khovanschina PK Abbado/Haugland/Atlantov/Popov
Monteverdi La Favola d'... PK Corboz/Tappy/Schwartz/Staempfli
Monteverdi Incoronazione.. PK Jacobs/Borst/Laurens/Larmore
Mozart Entfuehrung... CO,JC Bohm/Auger/Schreier
Mozart Idomeneo PK,JC Gardiner/Rolfe Johnson/Von Otter
CO Davis/Shirley/Davies
Mozart Le Nozze di... PK,VN Giulini/Taddei/Moffo/Wachter
CO Kleiber,E/Gueden/Siepi/Della Casa
Mozart Don Giovanni PK Haitink/Allen/Vaness/Lewis
VN,CO Guilini/Waechter/Schwarzkopf/Taddei
Mozart Cosi fan Tutte PK,VN Karajan/Schwarzkopf/Merriman
JC Leinsdorff
JC Solti
JC Haitink
VN,CO Boehm/Schwarzkopf/Ludwig
Mozart La Clemenza... PK Kertesz/Krenn/Berganza/Casula
JC Davis
JC Gardiner
Mozart Die Zauberflote PK Levine/Cotrubas/Tappy/Boesch
VN,CO Klemperer/Janowitz/Putz/Popp
Nicolai Die Lustige... PK Heger/Frick/Gutstein/Engen
Offenbach Orphee... PK Plasson/Rhodes/Mesple/Senechal
Offenbach Les Contes... PK Cambreling/Shicoff/Murray/Serra
VN,JC Bonynge/Domingo/Sutherland
CO Cluytens/Gedda/d'Angelo
Offenbach La Belle Helene VN,SM Plasson/Norman/Aler/Bacquier
Offenbach La Grande-Duch. NH
Pepusch The Beggar's... CO Austin/Noble/Prietto/Lipton
Pfitzner Palestrina PK Kubelik/Ridderbusch/Weikl
Ponchielli La Gioconda VN Bartoletti/Caballe/Pavarotti
CO,JC Gardelli/Tebaldi/Bergonzi/Horne
Prokofjef Amour des... PK Nagano/Bacquier/Viala/Perraguin
JC (Melodia, 60s)
Puccini La Boheme PK,VN,CO Beecham/De Los Angeles/Bjorling
VN,CO Karajan/Freni/Pavarotti
Puccini Tosca PK,VN,CO De Sabata/Callas/Di Stefano/Gobbi
Puccini Madama But... PK,CO Barbirolli/Scotto/Bergonzi
VN Gavazzeni/De los Angeles/Di Stefano
Puccini La Rondine PK,CO Molinari-Pradelli/Moffo/Barioni
VN Maazel/Te Kanawa/Domingo/Nicolesco
Puccini La Fanciulla... PK,CO Mehta/Neblett/Domingo/Milnes
Puccini Turandot PK Molinari-Pradelli/Nilsson/Corelli
VN,CO,JC Mehta/Sutherland/Pavarotti
CO Molinari-Pradelli/Nilsson/Bjorling
Puccini Manon Lescaut VN Sinopoli/Freni/Domingo/Bruson
CO Bartoletti/Domingo/Caballe
Purcell Dido and Aeneas PK Leppard/Norman/Allen
CO Lewis/Baker/Herincx
Ravel L' Heure... PK Maazel/Berbie/Giraudeau/Bacquier
CO Ensermet/Danco
Ravel L' Enfant... PK Maazel/Ogeas/Collard/Berbie
CO Ensermet/Wend/Danco
Rimski-Korsakov Shnegourochka PK Fedosejev/Archipova/Vedernikov
Rossini L' Italiana... PK,CO Varviso/Berganza/Alva/Corena
VN /Horne
Rossini Il Barbiere... PK Marriner/Allen/Baltsa/Araiza
CO Galliera/Callas/Gobbi/Alva
Rossini Semiramide PK Bonynge/Sutherland/Horne
Rossini Il Viaggio... PK Abbado/Gasdia/Terrani/Cuberli
Rossini La Cenerentola CO de Fabritiis/Simionato/Benelli
Rossini Guilaumme Tell VN,CO Gardelli/Caballe/Gedda/Bacquier
Saint-Saens Samson et... PK Pretre/Gorr/Vickers/Blanc
VN Patane/Ludwig/King
Schreker Der ferne Klang (Marco Polo)
Schreker Die Schatzgraeber (Cappriccio)
Schreker Die Gezeichneten (Marco Polo)
Schubert Fierrabras PK Abbado/Holl/Mattila/Hampson
Sjostakowitsj The Nose PK Rosjdestvenski/Achimov/Belich
Sjostakowitsj Lady Macbeth... BH
GR Rostropovich/Vishnesvskya
Smetana The Bartered... PK Kempe/Lorengar/Wunderlich/Frick
CO Chalabala/Tikalova/Zidek
Sondheim Sweeney Todd CO Original Cast Recording
Strauss, J Die Fledermaus PK Karajan/Kmentt/Gueden/Koth
VN Karajan/Schwarzkopf/Streich/Gedda
CO Krauss/Lipp/Gueden/Berry
Strauss, J The Gypsy Baron CO Ackermann/Gedda/Schwarzkopf/Kunz
Strauss, R Elektra PK,CO Solti/Resnik/Nilsson/Collier
Strauss, R Salome VN,JC Leinsdorf/Caballe/Lewis/Resnik
VN,CO Solti/Nilsson/Hoffman/Stolze
VN Karajan/Behrens/Bohme/Baltsa
JC Sinopoli/Studer
Strauss, R Der Rosen... PK Kleiber, E/Reining/Weber/Jurinac
VN,CO Karajan/Schwarzkopf/Ludwig
JC Solti
Strauss, R Die Frau... PK Sawallisch/Kollo/Studer/Schwarz
VN Solti/Varady/Domingo/Behrens
CO Bohm/Hopf/Rysanek/Scoeffler
Strauss, R Arabella PK Sawallisch/Berry/Schmidt/Varady
VN Tate/Te Kanawa
CO Solti/Della Casa/London/Gueden
Stravinsky Oedipus Rex CO Solti/Pears/Meyer/McCowen
Stravinsky Rake's Progress CO Stravinsky/Young/Raskin/Reardon
JC Atherton/Langridge
Tippett The Midsummer.. CO Davis/Carlyle/Remedios
Tchaikovsky Eugene Onegin CO Rostropovich/Masurok/Vishnevskaya
Tsjaikofski The Queen... PK Tchakarov/Ochman/Konsoelov
Verdi Ernani CO Schippers/Price/Bergonzi/Sereni
Verdi Nabucco CO Gardelli/Suliotis/Gobbi
Verdi Luisa Miller CO Cleva/Moffo/Bergonzi/MacNeil
Verdi Macbeth PK,CO Leinsdorf/Warren/Rysanek/Hines
JC Muti
Verdi Rigoletto PK Solti/Merrill/Moffo/Kraus
JC Kubelik/F-D/Bergonzi/Scotto/Cossotto
VN Serafin/Gobbi/Callas/Di Stefano
CO Cellini/Warren/Berger/Peerce
Verdi Il Trovatore PK,CO Cellini/Bjorling/Milanov/Warren
VN Mehta/Price/Domingo/Cosotto
Verdi La Traviata PK Ghione/Callas/Kraus/Sereni
CO Pritchard/Sutherland/Bergonzi
Verdi Simon Bocc... PK,CO Abbado/Cappuccilli/Freni/Ghiaurov
Verdi Un Ballo... PK,VN,CO Leinsdorf/Price/Bergonzi/Merrill
VN Solti/M. Price/Pavarotti/Bruson
Verdi La Forza... PK,VN,CO Schippers/Price/Tucker/Merrill
VN Levine/Price/Domingo/Milness/Cosotto
Verdi Don Carlos PK,CO Giulini/Domingo/Caballe/Verrett
VN Abbado/Domingo/Riciarelli/Terrini/Nuci
Verdi Aida PK,JC Perlea/Milanov/Barbieri/Bjorling
VN,JC Solti/Price/Vickers/Gorr
JC Muti/Caballe/Cossotto/Domingo
CO,JC Serafin/Tucker/Callas/Barbieri
Verdi Otello PK,CO Serafin/Vickers/Gobbi/Andreolli
JC,CO Toscanini/Vinay
JC Karajan
JC,VN Levine/Domingo/Scotto/Milnes
Verdi Falstaff PK,CO Karajan/Gobbi/Alva/Panerai
VN Giulini/Bruson
Wagner Der fliegende.. PK,CO Klemperer/Adam/Silja/Talvela
Wagner Lohengrin PK,CO Kempe/Thomas/Grummer/Frick
VN Solti/Domingo/Norman
JC Kubelik/Janowitz/King
Wagner Tristan... PK Bohm/Windgassen/Talvela/Nilsson
CO Karajan/Vickers/Dernesch
Wagner Meistersinger.. PK Karajan/Edelmann/Dalberg/Kunz
JC,CO Karajan/Donath/Kollo/Adam
VN Jochum/Fisher-Dieskau/Ligendza/Lagger
Wagner Der Ring... PK, VN Solti/Nilsson/Windgassen
CO Karajan
CO Bohm
Wagner Die Walkure PK Leinsdorf/Nilsson/Brouwenstijn
JC Solti (as above)
Wagner Tannhauser CO
VN Sinopoli/Domingo/Studer/Baltsa/Salminen
Wagner Parsifal PK Solti/Dieskau/Hotter/Frick
CO Knappertbusch/Thomas/London
Weill Aufstieg und... CO Bruckner-Ruggeberg/Lenya/Saverbaum
Dreigroschen... CO Bruckner-Ruggeberg/Lenya/Schellow

Initials in the third column indicate that the recording following the
initials is considered to be very good (often even the best) by the owner of
these initials. In case of PK, it also indicates that this opera was in the
original list. If no recording follows the initials this means this opera is
one of the most beautiful 100 operas, or simply that it's a very beautiful
opera, in the opinion of the owner of the initials.

EB Eric E. Bowles
JC Jon Conrad
PD Peter DeLafosse
NH Nadine S Harris
BH Bill McHenry
SM Scott Marley
VN Vinh Nguyen
CO Charles Osborne
PK Paul Korenhof
GR Gavin Ramsay

Paul Korenhof is the author of the list as in the original posting. He is
chief-editor of "Opera Skala", as far as I know the only full-color magazine
on Opera in the Netherlands , and of "Luister", the leading magazine on
classical music.

For operas where there is no JC, Jon Conrad agrees with PK (at least that
the recording PK picks is good; there is no recording obviously better, in
JC's opinion) "Die Zauberflote" is the only exception on this (as far as
becomes clear from JC's postings).

The CO recommendations come from a list, similar to Korenhof's. Alak
Chakravorty posted it. He got it from a book from 1983 by Charles Osborne.
Obviously no recordings from after 1983 are included.

Bart Gerritse

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