What opera are you listening to?

[PatrickMurtha]

I think the Albrecht recording lacks the Intermezzo. I saw a production of it iin Amsterdam about 20 years ago and was completely bowled over by the work. I also saw Henze conduct it at ENO a very long time ago. I am alway on a look out for another production so do not know why I missed the Berlin one.

Komische Oper Berlin did include the Intermezzo - that was the 1966 portion of the score. I watched the production on Operavision and did not care for it (Barrie Kosky, I think?). The music seemed promising, but the overall presentation was incoherent.

I have heard three other Henze operas since 2010 and liked all three - Boulevard Solitude, The Stag King (1963 version), and The Betrayed Sea. He seems to be composer non grata in English-speaking countries.

[gradus]

But that means missing those wonderful, waltzing Flower Maidens!

I wouldn't want to miss them so I've changed my mind. Klingsor ...not so sure.

[Master Jacques]

Komische Oper Berlin did include the Intermezzo - that was the 1966 portion of the score. I watched the production on Operavision and did not care for it (Barrie Kosky, I think?). The music seemed promising, but the overall presentation was incoherent.

I have heard three other Henze operas since 2010 and liked all three - Boulevard Solitude, The Stag King (1963 version), and The Betrayed Sea. He seems to be composer non grata in English-speaking countries.

This is not true. Far from being "non grata" in English-speaking countries, Henze was given a very good crack of the whip here in London. Many of his operas received their first productions outside Germany, or their world premieres here (We Come to the River, ROH); while Elegy for Young Lovers was staged at Glyndebourne, in the composer's preferred English, barely a month after its German try-out. His breakthrough stage work, the ballet Ondine, was also a London (Royal Ballet, Covent Garden, Fred Ashton, Fonteyn) commission.

Most of his operas (with the admirable Der Junge Lord sadly an exception) had their chance here in brilliant productions - The Bassarids was memorably mounted at ENO in 1974, conducted and staged by Henze himself - but quite simply none of them proved up to holding their place in the repertoire. Henze's left-wing, agit-prop music theatre pieces - notably The English Cat to a fascinating English libretto by Edward Bond - similarly failed. London was first in the field, but eventually lost faith with Henze's often luminous orchestration but intractable vocal writing and theatrical wrong choices.

I can't speak for his reception in USA; but given the "traditional" quality of opera production in the "land of the free", and high-bourgeois funding basis, I can understand why Henze would never have been given much of a chance there.

[RichardB]

This is not true. Far from being "non grata" in English-speaking countries, Henze was given a very good crack of the whip here in London.

Not just in opera and ballet either. I couldn't count the number of times I saw him conduct his own work with London orchestras and especially the London Sinfonietta (which released many recordings of his work), and many of his most important works were premiered and/or first recorded by British ensembles - the extended song-cycle Voices, the 6th, 7th and 10th symphonies, 2nd piano concerto, 2nd violin concerto, Heliogabalus Imperator and so on.

[richardfinegold]

Good first choice. I would just read the synopsis. It’s such a simple (and devastating) plot. The music is arguably more “approachable “ than the Glagolitic. One of the very greatest of operas IMHO. The first time I saw it (in a Glyndebourne touring production ) I couldn’t leave my seat at the end I was in such a state.

Thanks. This isn’t my first Opera-I’ve seen Carmen, Magic Flute, La Traviata, Mahon (Puccini), and The Flying Dutchman at the Lyric, and Don Giovanni and Das Rheingold at The Met, and and I have Blu Rays of Electra and Salome. However, it isn’t an art form that I have ever felt like I have a degree of expertise with

[Bryn]

Not right now, but eagerly awaiting tonight's broadcast of The Marriage of Figaro.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Not right now, but eagerly awaiting tonight's broadcast of The Marriage of Figaro.

Me too but the band sounds compressed and almost as if the top has been rolled off the fiddles. Listening on sounds not FM. The bassoon sounds like they’ve bribed the sound engineer - mind you I like a good bassoon.

[Bryn]

Me too but the band sounds compressed and almost as if the top has been rolled off the fiddles. Listening on sounds not FM. The bassoon sounds like they’ve bribed the sound engineer - mind you I like a good bassoon.

Yes, whoever they got in off the returns queue to do the audio engineering should not give up their day job(s).

I am, however, rather enjoying the performance itself.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Yes, whoever they got in off the returns queue to do the audio engineering should not give up their day job(s).

I am, however, rather enjoying the performance itself.

Yes indeed - though Figaro’s voice sounds so noble and mature I think he would have been better cast as the Count.

[Ein Heldenleben]

It’s a real battle of the voices this and so far the women are outclassing the men. Some tremendous soprano singing. They are also doing a better job baton watching and keeping across the extreme rubato and frequent rits.

[Bryn]

Sadly, I have had to abandon the broadcast but will make a point of starting from the overture again via BBC Sounds, later.

[kernelbogey]

[Bryn #60]...eagerly awaiting tonight's broadcast of The Marriage of Figaro....

I just picked this up in the middle of Act II, and it sounds fine to me on that basis (well, it's Salzburg...). I am so out of touch with the International opera scene, there's not a single name I recognise in the cast, nor the conductor .

I half-listened to: Kate Molleson [...] talks to Martin Nedbal from the University of Kansas about Figaro's origins and the ever-changing reactions to the opera in different countries at different times. It sounded as though Kate bowled, er, pitched some interesting questions to Prof Nedbal ('Oh, good question'...).

I think I'll make a point of listening to the whole of this during the week - there was some very fine singing.

[smittims]

In my experience it's become customary to praise any question, maybe to give the person time to think of an answer. I've heard truly banal questions in interviews greeted with 'That's a really great question! (now, how the hell can I find a polite answer?)'

Back to the thread... I was struck by Teatro Real Madrid's staging of Billy Budd last night on SkyArts. The cast wear present day (or at least 20th-century) naval uniforms, yet they are seen clearly doing things 20th-century officers and ratings would not be seen doing, as the opera is set (as the opening scene clearly tells us 'in the summer of 1797' on the deck of a 74-gun sailing ship.This does not seem to have occurred to anyone present.

[Ein Heldenleben]

In my experience it's become customary to praise any question, maybe to give the person time to think of an answer. I've heard truly banal questions in interviews greeted with 'That's a really great question! (now, how the hell can I find a polite answer?)'

Back to the thread... I was struck by Teatro Real Madrid's staging of Billy Budd last night on SkyArts. The cast wear present day (or at least 20th-century) naval uniforms, yet they are seen clearly doing things 20th-century officers and ratings would not be seen doing, as the opera is set (as the opening scene clearly tells us 'in the summer of 1797' on the deck of a 74-gun sailing ship.This does not seem to have occurred to anyone present.

Hmm …was the singing any good?

[smittims]

Ha, ha! good point. I have it admit I haven't listened to it yet. It'll be hard to erase memories of that recording, having lived with it for over fifty years. .