BaL 16.01.16 - Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Worth tuning in for this one, bbm, One of the turning points in musical history and filled with fine vocal writing and drama.

A worthwhile BaL indeed. The winner wasn't entirely expected.

[Barbirollians]

No it was a surprise - surprised to hear the Callas/Serafin fall at the second last albeit not due to her singing.

[LeMartinPecheur]

No it was a surprise - surprised to hear the Callas/Serafin fall at the second last albeit not due to her singing.

Barbs: what was the reason for the fall? That's the only CD version I have (still unplayed - I'm not a big enthusiast for Italian Verismo but it was cheap in Oxfam and I'd vaguely heard of Callas).

Come to think, I have an equally unplayed s/h LP set of HvK

[Richard Tarleton]

Barbs: what was the reason for the fall?

Rubbish orchestral playing under Serafin, meaning the tension dropped off whenever the principals weren't singing, more or less. She wanted a dramatic arc including the intermezzos etc not just a series of numbers.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I thought this was an interesting review. I didn't find the La Scala playing too awful in the Callas/Serafin, and it would not have deterred me from choosing it.

However, Gianandrea Gavazzeni's recording does it for me. Decca opera recordings are simply the best.

[BBMmk2]

Worth tuning in for this one, bbm, One of the turning points in musical history and filled with fine vocal writing and drama.

Ok, yes I was busy yesterday. My usual jamming session, and will catch up later! :)

[Madame Suggia]

Good luck with the marmalade BBM

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Good luck with the marmalade BBM

No-one's asked who the winner was.

[Richard Tarleton]

No-one's asked who the winner was.

Sinopoli/Baltsa/Domingo!

I have only one recording, Milanov/Bjorling/Merrill/Cellini on LP which I must listen to again, but don't think I'm in the market for another.

[Nick Armstrong]

what's wrong with a good ol'fashioned thigh-slapper!

Well - that's going off topic, but thank you for asking: I have a slight cold.

Glad I am busy tomorrow!

I've asked you not to call me "Glad".

Well - not in public, at any rate.

You were on fire on 8th January, ferney!! Giggle-water rather than milk on that third shredded wheat?

[Nick Armstrong]

To my surprise, I really enjoyed this BAL. Not my thing, this music, I thought - though I’ve never heard the piece all through. Just shows you! (And it’s good to come to a BAL in virginal innocence once in a while, I think! )

Anna Picard really kept me listening, and her well-turned comments had me smiling more than once. I loved the reference to a number of recordings having a “creaky ‘retirement community’ chorus” (remind anyone of anything? but Hush! we don’t want Choir-like strife here!)

She really got my attention by playing that extract of Mascagni announcing his own recording, in splendidly clear and intoxicatingly lilting Italian! I was rather proud of myself that thanks to a couple of weeks’ reacclimatisation with Young Montalbano, I could understand just about every word - and loved the slight Mafia tang of his reference to the record company and the fact that he’d been unable to “resistere al invito della nobile Voce del Padrone”…!

Baltsa in the ‘winning’ Sinopoli was gripping, but I didn’t like the boomy, diffuse sound (confirmed by a listen on the big hifi just now via iTunes Music), nor the ‘fog-horn’ edge to Domingo’s voice… (though not as bad as the same flaw - to my ears - of Pav. and even worse, Del Monaco ).

Although it was left by the wayside early on, I think it’s Muti for me - just having a listen, and the orchestral playing (Philharmonia, 3 years before their ‘winner’ under Sinopoli), the chorus, the solo singing and the recorded sound are much more up my strada.

Going to have to purchase, I think - got to have something Sicilian to put on in the rental Fiat when driving around Punta Secca (‘Vigata’) …!

[Richard Tarleton]

To my surprise, I really enjoyed this BAL. Not my thing, this music, I thought - though I’ve never heard the piece all through. Just shows you! (And it’s good to come to a BAL in virginal innocence once in a while, I think! ).....

Anna Picard really kept me listening, and her well-turned comments had me smiling more than once.....

My intro to this piece was a live performance - the WNO's "verismo" Elijah Moshinsky production in the 1990s, powerful stuff (ditto their Pag). The moment when Turiddu says goodbye to his mother, knows he's had too much wine, knows he's going to be killed, is heart-rending.

There are some odd comments about the Muti on Amazon.....

Yes, an excellent BAL, the second good operatic one we've had in recent weeks (Norma, Roger Parker).

[Nick Armstrong]

There are some odd comments about the Muti on Amazon.....

Could you post a link? All my amazon searches returned results with a mysterious and total lack of any 'comments' or ratings...

[Richard Tarleton]

See pm

[Richard Tarleton]

On looking again at the comments they seem to apply to different versions....very strange.