Opera folks here or do I need another site?

[efhmc]

Have a download of La Traviata with Sutherland and Pavarotti. I love the music but her voice is like chalk on blackboard to me. Any suggestions for other productions. Do not know if she was not in her prime here but her voice makes me want to run to the hills.

[FalloutShelter]

1. Maria Callas

https://m.

[efhmc]

25. Thank you. Listening to it now.

[FalloutShelter]

28. Enjoy!

[Jeebo]

2. There are lots of operas on YouTube.

I'll bet you can find several different performances of La Traviata there.

There was one opera I saw in 1998 in London that I've always wanted to see/hear again. It's apparently rarely performed, but it's full of beautiful Baroque music and I just loved it. It's Orfeo by Monteverdi. I've heard claims that it's the oldest publicly performed opera, first performed in I think about 1601 or thereabouts. I found several performances of it on YouTube and watched two of them.

It's amazing how much stuff there is on YouTube.

-- Ron

[efhmc]

3. Thank you so much.

I can hear the music in my head but then her voice comes on and I cringe. Can you find that opera on line anywhere? If so, let me know.

[efhmc]

27. Thank you. I will listen to it tonight.

[Ocelot II]

37. Orfeo is magnificent. A story about how I first heard it:

I had just started college, it was September of my freshman year (a very long time ago), and I had decided to major in music. I was walking toward the music building early one evening, and I heard through an open window some music that completely enthralled me, I just stood there and listened - it turned out to be a recording of L'Orfeo; someone was listening to it for an early music class (which I took later). I have that recording, which featured the great German tenors Fritz Wunderlich and Helmut Krebs on the Archiv label. It hooked me on early music. There is a wonderful newer youtube recording of a performance by Jordi Savall, one of the best interpreters of early music, here:

What's especially cool about this is that Savall, the conductor, is a dead ringer for Monteverdi.

[Alpeduez21]

42. I never would've guessed there are operas on youtube

Thank you!

[Aristus]

4. Never understood the acclaim over Sutherland.

Never liked her voice.

She was horribly miscast as the Woodbird in the Solti Ring Cycle. They should have cast Claire Watson. She would have crushed it.

[efhmc]

16. To my determent or joy, I have an ear that is good but drives me crazy when something (to me) is not

right. Can usually just let it go and move on but not always. And with the choices on the internet, I do not have to. Plus I bought this recording so am stuck with it until I get another one but sadly it will be without Pavarotti.

[Drum]

5. (I worked at the MET Opera for 5 years and absolutely loved it...)

…But alas I cannot with good conscience recommend toward/away many real recordings. Recordings of operas to me are treasured listening, but I don’t have the range of reference that one might. On the other hand, my opinions or recollections regarding performances I was involved in are a different story—I was a dancer and actor there, not a “musician,” so I lack the finer comparative experiences.

Still, I applaud your OP here, efhmc, and welcome seeing more related posts+replies 😃

Drum

[efhmc]

11. This is why I love DU.So kind of you to share your experiences here.

I was lucky enough to live in Houston for many years and so had the opportunity to enjoy all kinds of wonderful live performances of opera and ballet and orchestra. Plus once a friend of my daughter's treated us to a River Dance performance. Thankful for the Internet to take me away from this small minded Republican hell hole. Thankfully I still have several Dems here and I love my house and my yard. (The radishes I planted last week are already up.)

[efhmc]

18. Great to "hear" from a person on the ground so to speak.

Am listening to the recording that I have now on itune because it is what I have and the music lifts my spirits even with Sutherland. Well maybe not, just listening to her sing not even a high note but an intermediate phrase.. There is a shrillness there that lacks the delicateness that a gifted soprano should have.

[elleng]

6. Sorry, I don't have a suggestion, BUT it will be presented tomorrow (Saturday) @ 1 p.m. est here:

classical weta: https://weta.org/player

NOT sure from whence, MAYBE Live from the Met, or a recording.

beethoven's pastoral now.

[efhmc]

12. Handel Water Music now. I know that live from the Met is on Sat. I have Sirus and will listen when I

know something I want to hear is on. People here are so helpful. Wish I had thought of the DU source sooner. I love Pavarotti (of course) but want to fast forward past her voice. Happy to know that is is not just me. I have itune on my computer and phone and can get recording downloaded very inexpensively. Just hard to get through to what I am looking for. Enough about me. I thank and appreciate you so much.

[elleng]

17. I haven't studied her,

my fave 'current' female Elīna Garanča, mezzo. sample:

She does a good Carmen! and she and Gustavo seem sympatico.

[efhmc]

19. She has the richness of a great mezzo and would be a fabulous Carmen.

[elleng]

20. YES!

She's Latvian, and has refused to perform in Russia. Elīna Garanča & Piotr Beczala Cancel Performances in Russia. https://operawire.com/elina-garanca-piotr-beczala-cancel-russian-appearances/

[efhmc]

21. Would love to hear that. Clue me in if it ever happens, please.

[elleng]

22. WILL do! HAS happened, 'somewhat' recently.

Not really recently, a 'few' years ago: Richard Eyre’s stunning new production of Bizet’s opera was the talk of the town when it was unveiled on New Year’s Eve 2009. Elīna Garanča leads the cast as the iconic gypsy of the title—a woman desired by every man but determined to remain true to herself. Roberto Alagna is Don José, the soldier who falls under her spell.

[efhmc]

23. Is there a link or do I need to do a search? BTW, thank you so much.

[elleng]

26. I suggest search.

I recall viewing it some time ago, but seems like a recording.

[efhmc]

31. Gave me chills.

[elleng]

36. FULL VERSION of CARMEN!

[fierywoman]

7. Look around YouTube, there are a lot of versions there. And for an interesting staging

check out "Becoming Traviata" with Natalie Dessai. True, she has a "small" voice, but I think it works (if only because Violetta is consumptive through the entire opera!)

[efhmc]

15. As a very young girl, I read this tragic story. Surely not having an idea what this life/story

was really all about. Just seemed sad to me. And to a young girl of my time, it seemed so very, very wrong for her to suffer so. https://www.roh.org.uk/news/the-real-traviata-the-tragic-true-story-that-inspired-la-traviata

[efhmc]

32. Thank you. I will.

[wiggs]

8. For those in Southern Cal...get thee to Long Beach Opera for a bit of contemporary magic!

productions are unusual, thought-provoking, unique, and with high high quality performers. Been going for 15 years...always feel like receiving a gift.

[efhmc]

13. Lucky you. As the members of my family used to say, "Stop bragging."

Some of us are not so lucky. We live or try to in Central Texas.

[JudyM]

9. You can also post in the Music Appreciation group

Under the topic of Entertainment.

[efhmc]

14. Once again, I feel so lucky to have the expanse of DU in my life.

Thank you.

[efhmc]

33. Thank you. I will.

[UTUSN]

10. Luv moo-sik but canNOT take Mozart's SOPRANO CHORUS things.

[efhmc]

24. https://www.youtube.com/watch?vYuBeBjqKSGQ

Now that is amazing singing. Mozart music but a German's libretto. Emanuel Schikaneder.

[UTUSN]

29. Couldn't open the link. But wasn't at my clarity best:

I love a very high percentage of MOZART (who am I not to?) - and I love beautiful voices. But specifically, a MOZART chorus of chirruping sopranos made me run to turn it off, holding my head/ears!

[efhmc]

30. An example,please. Sorry about the link. I HATE with a passion Windows 11. So many easy things are

no more. My computer guy says that young whipper snappers (didn't really use that term but I think it fits) just changed things because they could and not to make things better or easier.

[UTUSN]

43. The only example is the description of what I heard & how it affected me, don't know the name of the

piece/aria, can only tell you it was by MOZART and it was a chorus of all sopranos being CHIRRUPING. It set me off in an attack of sheer ANXIETY and panic, and I rushed to TURN. IT. OFF!

This effect on me has nothing to do with the beauty of the music and the vocal mastery. It is about the hyper CHIRUPING and how it set me off, like how certain lights can set off a seizure. My thing was nothing so extreme as a seizure, just made me WAY on edge.

Besides MOZART's total genius in the music thing, what's totally mastery in what little I've looked at translations of his operatic librettos is the CREEPINESS, case in point/EXAMPLE, the magnificent (in the music) Queen of the Night aria, which when I saw what it was saying was a total creep-out.

*** I delayed picking up Windows 11 for a year and then had no problem downloading it or IT using whatever it does. I use Chrome for what I do, but the 11 display doesn't bother me and have had no intrusions except for popups of McAfee and whatnot trying to loop me in.

*** As for posting the YouTube link, just tell me the name of the piece and I'll Search in YouTube.

[wyn borkins]

34. You May Wish To Listen

To this angelic little girl (Amira Willighagen) from some time ago...

(My attempted links are not working herein this day; please look for her and I'm certain you will not be disappointed)

[efhmc]

35. I will.Thank you.

[wyn borkins]

39. Sadly, Amira Does Not Sing 'La Traviata'

But you should look for her Holland's Got Talent - 2013 singing 'O mio Babbino Caro' when she was just nine years old.

[efhmc]

38. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v_v9D7AAyMV0

She is an amazing talent. If you will.let me know if that works.

[wyn borkins]

40. No, That(Your) Link Did Not Work

However, it did take me to YouTube, just not to Amira.

Please look for her singing early in her career

O Mio Babbino Caro and Nessun Dorma

Thank you so very much

Wyn Borkins

[wyn borkins]

41. Just Me Again

Finally...
I entered her full name in the Search Box at the link you so kindly provided and that worked just fine.
Thanks again
Wyn