BaL 5.07.14 - Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice

[vinteuil]

… preferable without a castrato

... why so? - it wd be marvellous to have a good performance using a castrato, surely?

[umslopogaas]

Well ... whether or not it would be marvellous is something you should ask the castrato!

[Richard Tarleton]

I'd want something a bit more HIP.

Do you mean, Don B, that the Berlioz edition of OeE won't be/isn't HIP, or that the JEG/Monteverdi Choir/Orch de l'Opéra de Lyon recording thereof won't be?

I don't know the recording either but saw a lovely performance by WNO of the Berlioz version a few years ago with Katerina Karnéus as Orphée, cond. McCreesh. As I understand it, Berlioz knew both the 1762 Vienna and 1774 Paris versions inside out, and his 1859 version represents a fusion of the directness of the former and lyrical beauty of the items added for Paris.

My only CD (of Orfeo ed Euridice) is the legendary Baker/Leppard/Glyndebourne version, but these days I think you have to be of a certain age or to have experienced Leppard's realisations in all their glorious novelty back then to appreciate them - they don't get far with the teenage reviewers on BAL these days.

I prefer mezzo to tenor here.....I did once have a Tito Schipa CD that included Che faro..... -

[richardfinegold]

I only have Monteux. Definitely not HIPP.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Do you mean, Don B, that the Berlioz edition of OeE won't be/isn't HIP, or that the JEG/Monteverdi Choir/Orch de l'Opéra de Lyon recording thereof won't be?

I don't know the recording either but saw a lovely performance by WNO of the Berlioz version a few years ago with Katerina Karnéus as Orphée, cond. McCreesh. As I understand it, Berlioz knew both the 1762 Vienna and 1774 Paris versions inside out, and his 1859 version represents a fusion of the directness of the former and lyrical beauty of the items added for Paris.

A kind of hybrid HIPP?

[Don Basilio]

..

EDIT - I don't know it, but the René Jacobs - Bernarda Fink / Veronica Cangemi is tempting -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00LI2L6JS.

Indeed. Does it include a libretto?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It appears we already have a BaL on this topic, so I've merged them.

[Barbirollians]

Not having wanted to listen to the opera as a whole I now have two vintage versions - Ferrier in Holland in 1951 sends shivers down the spine . Although she only had two operatic roles this is vocal acting of a very high order . Shame the rest of the cast are nowhere near her level . Immensely moving Che Puro Ciel and Che Faro and terrific in the recitatives too.

Now for Shirley Verrett.

[Barbirollians]

The reissued Verrett conducted by Renata Fasano from 1966 is thrilling stuff - orchestra a bit big band but leagues ahead of the the stilted accompaniments poor Kathleen Ferrier got from Bruck and especially Stiedry ( who she wanted to brain with her lyre) .

Verrett is terrific.

[richardfinegold]

Our local station was playing the Runnicles/San Francisco Opera version during my drive home. It didn’t do much to replace the Monteux in my affection