BaL 10.12.16 - Puccini: La fanciulla del West

[Nick Armstrong]

Excellent BaL from Flora Wilson.

Yes good straightforward lucid presentation.

But nah... I shan't be troubling Santa or any other retailer for this piece. For all the RKO Pictures glamour of the harmonies and orchestration, it all stops short of giving me the slightest wish to hear any of it again (with the possible exception of Johnson's first set piece, which the reviewer described as one of the opera's high spots). I can do without the mawkish "Hello Minnie" stuff, too.

I suspect that's why I've gone several decades without investigating - because I now recall an opera-addict friend at University raving about the Milnes/Domingo/Neblett/Mehta recording and playing us some of it (only a few years after it came out ) - I could hear the vocal splendour but the music did nothing for me. Seems as if I haven't changed much.

[teamsaint]

The Steber /Mitropoulos is terrific .

...and available in this great value set.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Puccini-Great-Operas-Various/dp/B007Z84XAS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481460342&sr=8-1&keywords=puccini++box+set+regis

[BBMmk2]

Yes good straightforward lucid presentation.

But nah... I shan't be troubling Santa or any other retailer for this piece. For all the RKO Pictures glamour of the harmonies and orchestration, it all stops short of giving me the slightest wish to hear any of it again (with the possible exception of Johnson's first set piece, which the reviewer described as one of the opera's high spots). I can do without the mawkish "Hello Minnie" stuff, too.

I suspect that's why I've gone several decades without investigating - because I now recall an opera-addict friend at University raving about the Milnes/Domingo/Neblett/Mehta recording and playing us some of it (only a few years after it came out ) - I could hear the vocal splendour but the music did nothing for me. Seems as if I haven't changed much.

Not just me then, Cali! :)

[Barbirollians]

...and available in this great value set.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Puccini-Gre...+box+set+regis

Yes and considering she played other sets just to reject them the failure to mention this set was utterly baffling .

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I suspect that's why I've gone several decades without investigating - because I now recall an opera-addict friend at University raving about the Milnes/Domingo/Neblett/Mehta recording and playing us some of it (only a few years after it came out ) - I could hear the vocal splendour but the music did nothing for me. Seems as if I haven't changed much.

It does take a bit more effort than the likes of Manon Lescaut, La Boheme, Tosca and Madama Butterfly. I bought the Tebaldi CD set several years ago, listened to it once and then left it on the shelf to gather dust. Listening to this BaL has changed that, and I've gone back to the old set with greatly renewed interest. I believe I've a DVD set somewhere too.

[Barbirollians]

It does take a bit more effort than the likes of Manon Lescaut, La Boheme, Tosca and Madama Butterfly. I bought the Tebaldi CD set several years ago, listened to it once and then left it on the shelf to gather dust. Listening to this BaL has changed that, and I've gone back to the old set with greatly renewed interest. I believe I've a DVD set somewhere too.

I suspect the Stemme/Kaufmann DVD is likely to be the best route in to the opera - had rave reviews as I recall for the production as well as the singing.

[Lento]

It includes the famous tune that somehow seems to turn up in the Phantom of the Opera !

I thought there were one or two moments that sounded a bit like ALW! I just reckon that he liked Puccini, so the style rubbed off on him a little. Another much-repeated "rising scale" theme in the Puccini made me think of Sunset Boulevard.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

In the same way that Ronnie Briggs liked money, so some of the stuff rubbed off on him a little.

[Lento]

In the same way that Ronnie Briggs liked money, so some of the stuff rubbed off on him a little.

Nice one, I have to admit! Wikipedia says that there was some kind of legal threat v ALW from the Puccini heirs re Fanciulla, but that it was resolved out of court.

[underthecountertenor]

It does take a bit more effort than the likes of Manon Lescaut, La Boheme, Tosca and Madama Butterfly. I bought the Tebaldi CD set several years ago, listened to it once and then left it on the shelf to gather dust. Listening to this BaL has changed that, and I've gone back to the old set with greatly renewed interest. I believe I've a DVD set somewhere too.

[rauschwerk]

It might surprise some boarders to know that Anton Webern admired this opera, and said so in a letter to Schoenberg.

[mikealdren]

The Steber /Mitropoulos is terrific .

But sadly the live 1954 recording isn't.

Mike

[underthecountertenor]

It might surprise some boarders to know that Anton Webern admired this opera, and said so in a letter to Schoenberg.

Thanks for reminding me of this: good to know that I (together with cali's university friend) am in distinguished company (pace cali and bbm!)

[Pulcinella]

I didn't get to hear this BaL, and only caught the tail end of the extract played yesterday (end of Act 2?), but thought that at certain points it was reminiscent of bits of Bartok's Bluebeard. They were written about the same time, so one cannot really have influenced the other. Just the way music was developing at the time?
Anyone else sense that?

[underthecountertenor]

I didn't get to hear this BaL, and only caught the tail end of the extract played yesterday (end of Act 2?), but thought that at certain points it was reminiscent of bits of Bartok's Bluebeard. They were written about the same time, so one cannot really have influenced the other. Just the way music was developing at the time?
Anyone else sense that?

Interesting thought, Pulcinella. I will have to listen again with that in mind (no great hardship for me!)