Music you've still not grown to like

[Suffolkcoastal]

ferney, regarding Verdi, I would recommend Simon Boccanegra. For me it's by far and away his best work. Claudio Abbado's DG recording is marvellous.

I'll second Beefy's recommendation for Simon Boccanegra, a superb work, it absolutely stunned me when I finally listened to the whole work for the first time a few years ago, one of the great operas IMO.

[vinteuil]

ferney, regarding Verdi, I would recommend Simon Boccanegra.

... yes, Boccanegra could well be a good way in.

But I think much his greatest is Don Carlos / Don Carlo (I prefer the 'fuller' French version).

The scenes between Philippe II and the Grand Inquisitor, the bromance between Don Carlos and Rodrigue, marquis de Posa - I would have thought Ferney wd find these impressive.

There is a fine Antonio Pappano recording of Don Carlos on EMI (Jose Van Dam, Roberto Alagna, Thomas Hampson, Eric Halfvasron, Karita Mattila, Waltraud Meier).
If you wish the Italian Don Carlo, an excellent Giulini or a 'historical' Gabriele Santini - all on EMI.

No HIPP versions yet, sadly....

[Beef Oven!]

XTC, except the first three albums.


.

[verismissimo]

Not a lot of opera lights my candle. I think it's not so much the music, some of it is very moving but the vibrato and warbling does it no favours.

I decided to listen to recordings of singers who learned their craft pre the arrival of verismo - Patti, Melba, Tamagno, Battistini and so on - and what became quickly clear is that, while they all had that fast, narrow vibrato, 'natural' vibrato, none had the wobbly delivery that was so common after verismo took hold.

The arrival of the HIP movement has resulted, among other things, with many of the more recent singers using much more limited vibrato, indeed having more control over it.

[teamsaint]

XTC*. I'm still struggling. Sorry ts


*Except first three albums

I can't see what you are referring to, were you asking for an opinion on something?!

[Beef Oven!]

I can't see what you are referring to, were you asking for an opinion on something?!

I've amended my post.

[teamsaint]

XTC, except the first three albums.


.

The ones you have previously said you like are not from the first three ( White Noise, Go 2 and Drums and Wires).

Confused.

[Beef Oven!]

The ones you have previously said you like are not from the first three ( White Noise, Go 2 and Drums and Wires).

Confused.

I'm struggling with English Settlement and Skylarking, even though I liked them when I first heard them about 2 years ago. I listened to bits and pieces from Nonsuch, Black Sea and Oranges & Lemons over the last few days (giving Apple Music a hiding!) and it all left me cold.

I'm going to be strict and take only one XTC album (English Settlement) on holiday in September, on my portable device and give it welly. That's the album that I think stands most chance of captivating me.

I'm listening to Nonsuch as I type and it's just not working for me.

[Ferretfancy]

Interestingly, Antar was the first piece of Rimsky I got to know back in the 50s - and before I knew Scheherazade. Antar used to be broadcast quite often on the BBC in those days, but I only finally acquired a CD about 3 years ago. Wonderful stuff and I can forgive the repetition in the piece.

My experience is that personal tastes definitely change over the years. It was about 40 years before I enjoyed the Strauss 4 Last Songs, for example! Now it is a firm favourite. I still struggle with Don Quixote, though.

Dream of Gerontius can be a unique experience - but I don't want to hear it more than once every few years as I find it so intense. I got to know this having sung it in a choir in Dorchester Abbey some years ago.

Antar was Decca's very first stereo recording, and on playback Ansermet said that it was like being there. The Suisse Romande's performance was originally issued in mono, the stereo came much later. It still sounds excellent on CD

[Barbirollians]

Verdi !!! Saints above fhgl - poor you . One of my favourite composers . Just put the Callas recording on and you should get Il Trovatore . Don Carlos and La Traviata also masterpieces as well as Aida, Falstaff etc .

I have to admit , however, that the Reqieum does not do it for me at all - and I have Abbado, Giulini and Pappano's recordings .

[Madame Suggia]

Mendelssohn,

Just can't find a piece of Mendelssohn that I like.

[Roehre]

... yes, Boccanegra could well be a good way in.

But I think much his greatest is Don Carlos / Don Carlo (I prefer the 'fuller' French version).

The scenes between Philippe II and the Grand Inquisitor, the bromance between Don Carlos and Rodrigue, marquis de Posa - I would have thought Ferney wd find these impressive....

Don Carlo (I share Vinteuil's opinion) was for me the "entrance" into Verdi.
A long opera, but for me it turned out to be very rewarding.
The Naxos Don Carlos (sung in Italian) is a good introduction into the work as it offers the possibillity to create your "own version" (The French has got 4 acts, the Italian 3).
Charles Osborne's book on the Verdi operas introduces you to any of the Verdi operas, and was a great help to me to get grip on them.

[Dave2002]

Mendelssohn,

Just can't find a piece of Mendelssohn that I like.

Not the Octet?

We can't make you like any of his work, but I think the D minor piano trio and some of the string quartets are really good (e.g number 2 and number 6 - chosen very quickly). Also his cello sonatas.

If they don't do anything for you, well, at least I tried.

Oh - corny though it might be, I do still like "Hear my Prayer" - amazing piece.

[verismissimo]

Mendelssohn,

Just can't find a piece of Mendelssohn that I like.

String Quartet Op 60. Devastating.

[MrGongGong]

Mendelssohn,

Just can't find a piece of Mendelssohn that I like.

The octet is a work of genius
BUT I can't find anything to like in any of it either