The greatest Opera Recordings

[wagnerfan]

For me, the list is very small one. One needs either perfect casting
and conducting - or a recording with some weaker elements but others
so strong they define the work.
In the first category I would put

Tosca EMI 1953 - which has all the prinicpals in the best forms of
their short primes under a superb conductor who recorded too little.

Gotterdammerung Decca 1964 - wonderful casting from top to bottom at a
time which was not known for great Wagner singing in stupendous sound
under a conductor who may not be my favorite but is dramatic and
exciting.

Walkure Act One EMI 1935 - better than other Walkure Act One I have
heard recoerded or live - Wagner singing at which one can only shake
one's head in wonder today under a great Wagner conductor and the
prewar Vienna Philharmonic.

In the second category I would put

Tristan und Isolde EMI 1952- the subsidiary casting could be better
and the Tristan as well but the combination of Flagstad and
Furtwangler brings us for pages here and there the essence of this
work.

Nozze - a weak Count but the whole ensemble represents a now gone
Vienna tradition under one of the great Mozart conductors.

Any other ideas???? Wagner Fan

[rich...@gmail.com]

Now that it is available commercially, I would have to put the 57
Bolena on that list. The only relative limitation might be N R-L, but
it is a relative limitation. If there is any limit in the recording
it is the level of cutting.

[wagnerfan]

Actually I had commercial studio sets in mind but no question this
cut Callas Bolena from 57 impacts more than anyy other stuido set
complete or not. And the Divina remastering from BJR tapes puts all
others to shame. Wagner Fan

[edo...@gmail.com]

On Nov 27, 6:28 pm, wagnerfan <ivanmax...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Sun, 27 Nov 2011 15:07:39 -0800 (PST), "richer...@hotnail.com"

My very favorite studio commercial recording of all time is the London/
Decca 1958 recording of Fanciulla del West. It was my introduction to
this, my favorite Puccini opera. Tebaldi and del Monaco were already
known quantities, and are wonderful, and so very in character.
Newcomer Cornell MacNeil as Rance quickly became one of my very
favorite baritones of all time, and he sounds incredible here.

The entire ensemble, down the the smallest role, as well as the
orchestra and conductor were steeped in the great Italian style, and
all deliver an absolutely top notch performance. Of all the complete
operas on my Itunes, this is the one I most return to, over and over
again. The sound is superb, and enhances this great recording.

Ed

[CHSIII]

Two of my all-time favorite commercial recordings are Samson et Dalila, with
Gorr and Vickers, Pretre conducting, and the Callas Carmen, with Gedda,
again with Pretre at the helm. The first, I especially find spectacular.
Oh yes - also the Moffo Lucia, with Bergonzi, Sereni and Flagello - again
with Pretre. I'm not really a Pretre fan - I think I had listened to these
recordings for years before I really cared who was conducting.

Also the Tebaldi/Bergonzi/d'Angelo/Bastianini/Cesari/Siepi/de Palma/Corena
Boheme - led sonorously and expansively by Tulio Serafin - my Lord, what a
cast!! In fact, now that I think about it, this goes to the top of my list
of commercial recordings.

[ML/NJ]

Klemperer Fidelio

[chromolume]

On Nov 27, 2:57 pm, wagnerfan <ivanmax...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Nozze - a weak Count but the whole ensemble represents a now gone
> Vienna tradition under one of the great Mozart conductors.

Which recording do you mean?

[wagnerfan]

Sorry the 1955 Decca under Kleiber. Wagner fan

[rich...@gmail.com]

On Nov 29, 10:19 am, wagnerfan <ivanmax...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Tue, 29 Nov 2011 06:57:39 -0800 (PST), chromolume
>

> <jongoldb...@msn.com> wrote:
> >On Nov 27, 2:57 pm, wagnerfan <ivanmax...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >> Nozze - a weak Count but the whole ensemble represents a now gone
> >> Vienna tradition under one of the great Mozart conductors.
>
> >Which recording do you mean?
>
>   Sorry the 1955 Decca under Kleiber.  Wagner fan

I can't say I know them all really well, but I am kind of surprised
that you didn't name any of the Soria-Champagne series of operetta
recordings as part of that list. Do you find some issues with
conducting or with some of the cast?

All best

[wagnerfan]

Actually I hadn't really thought about operetta but yes those EMI
Champagne series do have a unique style and finish - thanks to Legge.
Wagner fan

[rich...@gmail.com]

On Nov 29, 12:18 pm, wagnerfan <ivanmax...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Tue, 29 Nov 2011 08:43:48 -0800 (PST), "richer...@hotnail.com"

> Wagner fan- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I don't think I would have liked to have lived next door to him, but
he could be a genius, although I think at times he stumbled badly. He
clearly had a 'vision'. The interesting story he told was that he
dumped all of those masters he acknowledged taking with him from EMI
in Lake Lucerne, but as someone has pointed out, it would be almost
impossible to do this....they wouldn't all sink, and the debris would
have floated off to the shore. I doubt that he could have actually
have forced himself to dispose of recordings in which he had a hand,
and I suspect that he left them to Madame. Where the recordings are is
a mystery, but I feel pretty certain that they are not at the bottom
of any lake.

[chromolume]

On Nov 29, 10:19 am, wagnerfan <ivanmax...@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Tue, 29 Nov 2011 06:57:39 -0800 (PST), chromolume
>

> <jongoldb...@msn.com> wrote:
> >On Nov 27, 2:57 pm, wagnerfan <ivanmax...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >> Nozze - a weak Count but the whole ensemble represents a now gone
> >> Vienna tradition under one of the great Mozart conductors.
>
> >Which recording do you mean?
>
>   Sorry the 1955 Decca under Kleiber.  Wagner fan

I had a feeling, lol. It's funny - I've never really liked that
recording. I agree with you about Alfred Poell's Count - he's really
awful. And the non-Italians in the cast (Poell most definitely
included) have really terrible stabs at Italian. But I also have to
admit I don't much like Kleiber's work here - some of his tempi seem
strange to me, and the orchestra at times sounds a bit clunky. I
suspect most of you will tell me I'm crazy, but that's how I feel...;-)

[clem]

The Beecham Boheme, with De Losangeles, Bjorling, Merrill, Tozzi is
probably the single opera I have played most frequently. I also like
the Pav - Caballe Turandot.

Csardasfurstin,with Gedda and Rothenberger is another favorite, that I
can't imagine being done any better.

Paul

[Mike Scott Rohan]

We've recently had a poll on the Fifty Best Recordings for BBC Music
Magazine -- look at our new issue for the results (provided those
involved have not been stolen by the trolls. Again.)

Every time we do this sort of thing, we get savaged by the
Competition, plus Rupert Christiansen in the Daily Telegraph, so no
doubt many here will too.

Cheers,

Mike

[edo...@gmail.com]

I also like this Boheme, but the Toscanini was my first Boheme and
remains my favorite on record. And CD!!

Ed

[A21²]

Hi Ed,
I have just had a startling realization, i.e., I have never heard a
complete FdW, neither live nor recorded. Moreover I have not even
heard a highlights album.
The only FdW music that I could swear to having heard is "Ch'ella mì
creda libero e lontano" sung by Johan Jonatan Bjoerling. Given your
avid endorsement I suppose I have no choice but to listen to the whole
opera.
Knowing me, I find this really weird, particularly given that I'm an
avid Puccini fan.
A21

[REP]

Fanciulla is my favorite Puccini opera, but it shocked me the first
time I saw it. It really made me wonder if Spanish people groan at
Carmen or if the Japanese roll their eyes at Butterfly, because
Puccini manages to cram in every embarrassing stereotype imaginable in
the first act of the opera. Before the action even gets rolling, he
brings out every possible Wild West cliche in a series of vignettes
that seem to go on forever. Someone's caught cheating at poker. The
mail arrives and everyone excitedly reads their letters from home. A
woman reads from the Bible. A minstrel sings a tune. Someone gets
homesick. Everyone wants "Whisky, Jack!" Wells Fargo, cigars, red
Injuns, apple pie. Oh brother!

But it has Puccini's best music and a beautiful ending. And once you
get over how ridiculous all the Yankee-pleasing cliches worthy of an
1890's postcard are, you kind of warm to it. The parts that aren't
campy, goofy fun are effective drama.

REP

[gggg...@gmail.com]

Recent canon of the best TOSCA recordings:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/recommends/home.htm

[Willem]

Just a list - no rationale or view - just stupid

[gggg...@gmail.com]

Do you like CARMEN?:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rec.music.classical.recordings/SfvHCNGI9-Q

[gggg gggg]

On Sunday, November 27, 2011 at 11:57:31 AM UTC-8, wagnerfan wrote:

Concerning TOSCA, the August 2022 issue of Gramophone ranks another recording of that opera even higher.

[gggg gggg]

On Sunday, November 27, 2011 at 11:57:31 AM UTC-8, wagnerfan wrote:

(Upcoming radio program):

https://www.wfmt.com/2023/01/08/my-favorite-operatic-recordings