Opera on 3 - 5.02.2011 Verdi: Simon Boccanegra

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Live from the Met, Verdi's "Simon Boccanegra" (James Levine conducts, featuring Dmitri Hvorotovsky)

This series of live opera broadcasts from the Met is one of the highlights of Radio's schedule. Sadly, I miss the broadcast as I'm playing in a show band all next week.

(A timer recording is always more convenient than "Listen Again".)

Any views on this work?

[vinteuil]

I like it a lot; second only to Don Carlos / Don Carlo in my view. The plot is incomprehensible the first few times you go at it, and is always pretty silly, but the typical Verdi father/daughter scenarios come through well.

[mikerotheatrenestr0y]

The brass accompaniment to the Council Scene is utterly amazing.

[Rolmill]

My favourite Verdi opera - partly because it was the first I got to know, partly because it has been graced with the finest Verdi recording I have ever heard: Abbado's 1977 La Scala set. The council chamber scene (finale to Act 1) is indeed one of the greatest scenes in all opera - helped by not just the brass, but also the spine-tinglingly sinister bass clarinet at the end! It's a dark piece - dominated by the male voices, downbeat ending - but contains several wonderful duets and ensembles. If you like Verdi generally, SB is definitely worth investigating.

[DracoM]

All I hope is that it is better than that dreadful Tosca last Saturday which I had to turn off. Talk about self-indulgent!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Draco, was this the interpretation of the conductor, or the cast? I missed it.