Category: Recordings

I suspect that when we survey the musical landscape of the early seventeenth century, it is opera, monody, and madrigal that come most quickly and lastingly into view, and given the contemporaneous attention given to the relationship between music and word, it is unsurprising that this would be the case.

When Giulio Caccini entitled his landmark 1601/02 publication Le nuove musiche, he confidently laid claim both to the novelty of the emerging baroque style and his formidable role in bringing it to blossom.

This Macbeth, originally conceived by Phyllida Lloyd for a co-production of the Paris OpÈra and Covent Garden, is an excellent example of what nowadays is to be seen on most opera stages in Europe (and probably the States as well).

Through Rossini’s influence Bellini and his rival Donizetti were each invited to compose an opera for the ThÈ‚tre des Italiens in Paris. Bellini who, paranoid and delusional, thought he was the object of a sinister plan headed by Rossini to benefit Donizetti, went out of his way to ingratiate himself with the “Great Master” long before Donizetti’s arrival in the French capital. After a year of idle life in Paris, where he survived off the kindness of his hosts and friends, the Sicilian composer set to work on what would regretfully become his last opera: I Puritani di Scozia.

For a work that is known as a one-aria-opera, four official (this one included) recordings is not a bad record. And of course most opera-lovers have not only ìE la solita storiaî in their many tenor recitals but know the baritone aria ìCome due tizziî and the mezzoís ìEsser madre Ë un infernoî as well.

When asked if I had any interest in reviewing the discs of ìthe Operatunity finalists,î I admit I was so ignorant of what Operatunity was that I had to make a quick web search to find out.

Dvo?·k und seine Zeit ñ Dvo?·k and his Time ñ immediately conveys a singular perspective on some of the vocal music of AntonÌn Dvo?·k (1841-1904) in the context of his generation. Recorded on 17 August 2004, the music on this two-CD set is from the second of two programs that were given at the 2004 Salzburg Festspiel under the rubric of ìDvo?·k und seine Zeit.î

I wonder how Natalie Dessay would comment on this CD made more than 10 years ago when she was barely thirty? The lady is a dream for every interviewer.

What to do, what to do, with Bellini and Romaniís bel canto masterpiece, La Sonnambula? The exquisite music demands to be performed, so the opera continues to have an existence on the fringes of the standard repertory.

For those who want to possess every single TV appearance of RÈgine Crespin, this issue will not suffice. Only four items of the EMI DVD devoted to the soprano are to be found on the short DVD that is included with this CD.