tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post4822363117728726283..comments2024-03-27T21:41:50.122-07:00Comments on Iron Tongue of Midnight: Fantasy Opera ElsewhereLisa Hirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14014924958428072675noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-46022847719455781242011-03-20T20:08:38.782-07:002011-03-20T20:08:38.782-07:00I'd jump for joy to see these at the Metropoli...I'd jump for joy to see these at the Metropolitan Opera...<br /><br />Hindemith - <i>The Harmony Of The World</i><br /><br />Sessions - <i>Montezuma</i><br /><br />Liebermann - <i>Penelope</i><br /><br />Honneger - <i>Antigone</i><br /><br />Egk - <i>The Inspector General</i><br /><br />Malipero - <i>L'Orfeide</i><br /><br />Von Einem - <i>Dantons Death</i><br /><br />Roussel - <i>Padmavati</i><br /><br />Blacher - <i>Die Nachtschwalbe</i><br /><br />Pfitzner - <i>The Rose From The Love Garden</i><br /><br />****<br /><br />P.S. I'd especially love to have a complete recording of Honneger's <i>Antigone</i>. <br /><br />It is described <b>very enticingly</b> in the 1964 book <i>The World Of Opera</i> by Brockaway and Weinstock:<br /><br /><i>"The strong, spare three-act libretto by Jean Cocteau (after Sophocles) was set with stark power, a Lullyan type of continuous recitative being heard above a strong, sharply dissonant orchestral web. Honneger added to the kinetic energy by disregarding a French operatic custom of placing the important first syllables of text words on unaccented beats -- instead he repeatedly gave them <b>strong accents</b>. The opera is devoid of arias, and contains none of the decorative features, balletic or otherwise, of many large French operas; it hews unmitigatedly to the business of clothing text (without word repetitions) in expressive music....."</i><br /><br />_______<br /><br /><br />My plea to Maestro Abbado, Rattle, Levine or Boulez:<br /><br /><b>Study this intriguing Honneger opera and make a recording, please!</b><br /><br />Even Poulenc loved it so it must be good!<br /><br />:-)The Wistful Pelleastrianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01391989065502028363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-86892521629334885172011-02-21T13:39:28.191-08:002011-02-21T13:39:28.191-08:00Matthew, I'll get to Il Prigoniero eventually ...Matthew, I'll get to Il Prigoniero eventually - I'm planning on a few more seasons!Lisa Hirschhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14014924958428072675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-39701909280461542902011-02-20T20:05:14.366-08:002011-02-20T20:05:14.366-08:00Actually, I did- see my fourth fantasy season wher...Actually, I did- see my fourth fantasy season where I pair The Prisoner with Bluebeard's Castle.John Marcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17616296400880495672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-15214689553204969412011-02-20T19:51:24.686-08:002011-02-20T19:51:24.686-08:00It's astounding to me that nobody in all of th...It's astounding to me that nobody in all of these posts has suggested Dallapiccola. Il prigioniero is an astonishing score.<br /><br />And you missed his Ulisse in your Trojan War Season.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09479064458942221446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-91438042017508141202011-02-07T14:47:21.314-08:002011-02-07T14:47:21.314-08:00For anyone's purusal, I have created a fantasy...For anyone's purusal, I have created a fantasy orchestral season.<br /><br />Frankly, it was exhausting:) <br /><br />http://evantucker.blogspot.com/2011/02/fantasy-orchestral-season.htmlEvan Tuckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209699238979904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-882246049123561882011-02-06T21:54:51.344-08:002011-02-06T21:54:51.344-08:00Of course, what the houses should do is to make it...<i>Of course, what the houses should do is to make it their mission to attract those who are interested in music, drama, and musical drama, but there seems precious little evidence of anyone doing that...</i><br /><br />This is just from my experience talking to people about opera and there's three major roadblocks:<br /><br />1) The style of singing. Sorry, voice lovers, not everyone likes the operatic style of singing.<br /><br />2) The language barrier. Supertitles don't negate that, in fact I had one person who loved live theater state flat-out "I don't speak any foreign languages and I'm not taking my eyes off the stage to read titles".<br /><br />3) Length. Operas are long, even those not by Wagner and his followers. Asking people to sit still and quiet for 2 hours + of music is a bridge too far for some people.Henry Hollandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15871451112170286316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-14540353164745981782011-02-06T15:55:03.679-08:002011-02-06T15:55:03.679-08:00Here's mine:
Monteverdi, L'Orfeo
Mozart, ...Here's mine:<br /><br />Monteverdi, L'Orfeo<br />Mozart, Die Entführung aus dem Serail <br />Weber, Oberon (in the English original)<br />Berlioz, Les Troyens<br />Dargomyzhsky, The Stone Guest<br />Wagner, Die Feen <br />Verdi, Falstaff<br />Wolf, Der Corrigidor<br />Debussy, Pelléas et Mélisande <br />Thomson, Four Saints in Three Acts<br />Feldman, Neither / Kondo, Hagoromo<br />Cage, Europeras 1 & 2Daniel Wolfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09093101325234464791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-45232169353521151122011-02-06T13:05:41.210-08:002011-02-06T13:05:41.210-08:00This is the most depressing thing: pretty much eve...This is the most depressing thing: pretty much everyone considering him- or herself as an opera-goer wants more interesting repertory. The problem, however, is that I fear we do not make up most of the audience. That hit home when, before Christmas, I was speaking to someone working at a major opera house, who told me that the greater part of the audience does not correspond to that which goes to concerts in the same city, etc. Instead one is dealing in large part, in addition to the corporate brigade, with people who consider it an evening 'experience' somewhat akin to going to an expensive restaurant. Of course, what the houses should do is to make it their mission to attract those who are interested in music, drama, and musical drama, but there seems precious little evidence of anyone doing that...Mark Berryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17693194967620507933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-51629524756820308362011-02-06T13:01:01.555-08:002011-02-06T13:01:01.555-08:00Okay, I'm in too:
http://abeastinajungle.blo...Okay, I'm in too: <br /><br />http://abeastinajungle.blogspot.com/2011/02/if-i-had-gockleys-job-more-fantasy.htmlJohn Marcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17616296400880495672noreply@blogger.com