Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice: Opera Matinée Thursday 20 June

[doversoul1]

Tom McKinney presents a performance of Gluck's three-act opera from Italian Radio, recorded at the Teatro dell'Opera in Rome.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00061jj

I’m not sure if Gluck comes under early music. I’m listening to it now and it sounds rather good.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Tom McKinney presents a performance of Gluck's three-act opera from Italian Radio, recorded at the Teatro dell'Opera in Rome.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00061jj

I’m not sure if Gluck comes under early music. I’m listening to it now and it sounds rather good.

It's a wonderful opera, but not really "early". For that you have to go to Monteverdi.

When Monteverdi's Orfeo was an A-level set work, I had great difficulty in selling it to my A-level students. I tried every trick in the book, but they seemed to have set themselves against it, and "resistance was futile".
So one lesson, I said, "Let's listen to a bit of Orpheus"
"Groan, groan".
"Come on; give it a chance"
I then played part of the opening scene of Gluck's opera. The long faces persisted. Their minds were made up, and they hadn't twigged. Then one girl said, "But it's beautiful. Is it the Gluck?"
I confessed that I had tricked them, but they got the message - that they has spent several minutes hating it because they had set their mind against it. From then on, they were more positive about Monteverdi, though they did prefer Gluck's Orfeo. One opera helped in the appreciation of the other.


Here's the rub:

Tom McKinney presents a performance of Gluck's three-act opera from Italian Radio, recorded at the Teatro dell'Opera in Rome.

Tom McKinney has very little to do with it, despite having a photograph of him alone on the BBC Radio 3 webpage. He's a nobody as far as the music is concerned. He isn't singing, he isn't playing, and he isn't conducting. You have to wade through the small-print to discover the real maestro: Gianluca Capuana.

Many thanks to doversoul for alerting us to this broadcast

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Oh...

I see I've already told this story before on the BaL thread.

Sorry to repeat myself. I don't like repeats, but I keep on repeating that too.

[ardcarp]

When Monteverdi's Orfeo was an A-level set work, I had great difficulty in selling it to my A-level students.

I wonder if this Goth version of Possente Spirito might have done the trick?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xQvuCZ7glE

...or is it Grunge?

[Barbirollians]

It's a wonderful opera, but not really "early". For that you have to go to Monteverdi.

When Monteverdi's Orfeo was an A-level set work, I had great difficulty in selling it to my A-level students. I tried every trick in the book, but they seemed to have set themselves against it, and "resistance was futile".
So one lesson, I said, "Let's listen to a bit of Orpheus"
"Groan, groan".
"Come on; give it a chance"
I then played part of the opening scene of Gluck's opera. The long faces persisted. Their minds were made up, and they hadn't twigged. Then one girl said, "But it's beautiful. Is it the Gluck?"
I confessed that I had tricked them, but they got the message - that they has spent several minutes hating it because they had set their mind against it. From then on, they were more positive about Monteverdi, though they did prefer Gluck's Orfeo. One opera helped in the appreciation of the other.


Here's the rub:



Tom McKinney has very little to do with it, despite having a photograph of him alone on the BBC Radio 3 webpage. He's a nobody as far as the music is concerned. He isn't singing, he isn't playing, and he isn't conducting. You have to wade through the small-print to discover the real maestro: Gianluca Capuana.

Many thanks to doversoul for alerting us to this broadcast

I feel like your A level students about Monteverdi - a performance of Poppea by Opera North some ten years or so ago ( possibly more ) was one of the longest evenings of my life.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Oh...

I see I've already told this story before on the BaL thread.

Sorry to repeat myself. I don't like repeats, but I keep on repeating that too.

As it's Monteverdi, think of it as a "ritornello" rather than a "repeat".

[doversoul1]

As it's Monteverdi, think of it as a "ritornello" rather than a "repeat".

...and da capo

[ardcarp]

- a performance of Poppea by Opera North some ten years or so ago ( possibly more ) was one of the longest evenings of my life.

Unbelievably L'Incoronazione was televised some time ago. Can't remember when or on what channel, but it would be almost inconceivable now. It was brilliant...and probably the shortest evening of my life! There was lots of stage 'machinery' as might have been used in the day.

Can anyone remember when, where, what company, etc, etc ?

[LHC]

Unbelievably L'Incoronazione was televised some time ago. Can't remember when or on what channel, but it would be almost inconceivable now. It was brilliant...and probably the shortest evening of my life! There was lots of stage 'machinery' as might have been used in the day.

Can anyone remember when, where, what company, etc, etc ?

It was probably the Peter Hall production from Glyndebourne in 2004, with Maria Ewing, and conducted by Raymond Leppard. The production caused some excitement at the time for the scene in which Maria Ewing was seen reclining in a bath naked. It is still available on DVD

[AuntDaisy]

Could it have been on television as far back as 1984? Found thanks to LHC's helpful information.

I think LHC's DVD might be https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00019HP1M/; the Amazon blurb claims "Peter Hall's lavishly staged L'Incoronazione di Poppea celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Glyndebourne in 1984..." although the DVD itself is from 2004.

https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/69028367afad47359ba6b05c67499f67

The Saturday Alternative: L'lncoronazione di Poppea
BBC Two England, 15 December 1984 20.15
Glyndebourne presents
Peter Hall's production of CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI'S opera in two acts and a prologue with a libretto by FRANCESCO BUSENELLO.
Realised and conducted by Raymond Leppard
In his introduction, Peter Hall describes this opera as one of the very rare works of art in which goodness fails and vice is rewarded ...
Glyndebourne Chorus director JANE GLOVER harpsichord continuo JEAN MALLANDAINE and ANIKO PETER-SZABO organ continuo IVOR BOLTON and CHRISTOPHER FIFIELD London Philharmonic
Orchestra, leader DAVID NOLAN English subtitles
GILLIAN WIDDICOMBE
Designer and lighting JOHN BURY Television lighting JOHN ELFES Sound GRAHAM HAINES Produced for television by ROBIN LOUGH
Directed for stage and television by PETER HALL
(Glyndebourne production staged in association with of IBM United Kingdom Limited)
A Simultaneous Broadcast with Radio 3. For the best effect, viewers with stereo Radio 3 should turn off