Hector Berlioz ~ The King of Thule
Dukas, The Sorcerer & Mickey Mouse
Gustav Mahler ~ Death In Venice
Joan Sutherland sings Gounod ~ Faust
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - 1787
painting byAngelica Kauffman
Showing posts with label Charles Gounod. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Charles Gounod. Show all posts
July 7, 2020
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe articles/mentions
Hector Berlioz ~ The King of Thule
Dukas, The Sorcerer & Mickey Mouse
Gustav Mahler ~ Death In Venice
Joan Sutherland sings Gounod ~ Faust
March 7, 2018
October 29, 2015
101 Reel-to-Reel Tapes 112: Joan Sutherland sings excerpts from Gounod ~ Faust
~ ~ ~
I
started the Vinyl LP series because I have a collection of over 20,000 vinyl record albums I am
selling; each blog entry is about an album from my collection. The 101 Reel-to-Reel Tapes series is an extension of that collection. Inquire
for information here.
~ ~ ~
Faust is a grand opera in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré from Carré's play, Faust et Marguerite, which was based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, Part 1. It debuted at the Théâtre Lyrique on the Boulevard du Temple in Paris on March 19, 1859.
The Devil has a great aria in Faust, Le veau d'or est toujours debout! (Song of the Golden Calf). The Soldier's Chorus is fun, happy and full of life; there is a video of the Kremlin Guard performing it and it is an interesting interpretation. It is slower, aggressive and threatening, almost scary.
But neither the Devil's song nor the Chorus are my favorites in this opera. My favorites are, Alerte ! alerte!, the final scene, and the finale which follows. They are outstanding! The final scene has the singers dramatically, constantly, shifting from one key to the next with intense emotion until you think they can't possibly get any more intense or go any higher. But they do and you go out of your mind with the beauty of the music! And if you're lucky enough to see a production that uses an organ in ADDITION to the orchestra, well . . . (links to music on YouTube below).
The Devil has a great aria in Faust, Le veau d'or est toujours debout! (Song of the Golden Calf). The Soldier's Chorus is fun, happy and full of life; there is a video of the Kremlin Guard performing it and it is an interesting interpretation. It is slower, aggressive and threatening, almost scary.
But neither the Devil's song nor the Chorus are my favorites in this opera. My favorites are, Alerte ! alerte!, the final scene, and the finale which follows. They are outstanding! The final scene has the singers dramatically, constantly, shifting from one key to the next with intense emotion until you think they can't possibly get any more intense or go any higher. But they do and you go out of your mind with the beauty of the music! And if you're lucky enough to see a production that uses an organ in ADDITION to the orchestra, well . . . (links to music on YouTube below).
Faust was rejected by the Paris Opera, on the grounds that it was not sufficiently "showy", and its appearance at the Théatre-Lyrique was delayed for a year because Adolphe d'Ennery's drama Faust was playing at the Porte St. Martin. When it was finally staged, in 1859, it was not well received.
However, when it was revived in Paris in 1862, it was a hit. A ballet had to be inserted before the work could be played at the Opéra
in 1869: it became the most frequently performed opera at that house
and a staple of the international repertory, which it remained for
decades, being translated into at least 25 languages.
Its popularity and critical reputation have declined somewhat since
around 1950. A full production, with its large chorus and elaborate sets
and costumes, is an expensive undertaking, particularly if the act 5
ballet is included. However, it appears as number 35 on the Operabase
list of the most-performed operas worldwide.
reel-to-reel tape box back
photo by Styrous®
It was Faust with which the Metropolitan Opera in New York City opened for the first time on October 22, 1883.
It is the eighth most frequently performed opera there, with 747
performances through the 2011-2012 season. It was not until the period
between 1965 and 1977 that the full version was performed (and then with
some minor cuts), and all performances in that production included the Walpurgisnacht and the ballet.
reel-to-reel tape box back detail
detail photo by Styrous®
Synposis
The action takes place in 16th Century Germany. during the German Renaissance. It is the story of of a man who sells his soul to the Devil
in exchange for knowledge and power. Gounod’s opera does not attempt to
match the thematic breadth or the philosophical sophistication of
Goethe’s sprawling masterpiece, concentrating instead on Faust’s
romantic encounter with Marguerite (Gretchen in Goethe’s drama) and the
tragic results of their liaison (link to complete synopsis below).
photo by Styrous®
The copy of the libretto
that came with the tape has yellowed with age with the form of the reel
emblazoned on it which gives it a strange depth effect.
Joan Sutherland first sang the role of Marguerite on March 9, 1965, with the Connecticut Opera, a professional, non-profit, opera company based in Hartford, Connecticut, and a member of OPERA America. The company closed in February of 2009, after 67 seasons.
Credits:
Baritone Vocals – Raymond Myers, Robert Massard
Bass Vocals – Nicolai Ghiaurov
Contralto Vocals – Monica Sinclair
Mezzo-soprano Vocals – Margreta Elkins
Soprano Vocals – Joan Sutherland
Tenor Vocals – Franco Corelli
Choir – The Choir Of Highgate School
Chorus – The Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Chorus Master – John McCarthy
Conductor – Richard Bonynge
Orchestra – The London Symphony Orchestra
Label: London Records – L 90172
Format: reel-to-reel tape
Country: USA
Released: 1970
Genre: Classical
Style: Opera
Format: reel-to-reel tape
Country: USA
Released: 1970
Genre: Classical
Style: Opera
libretto detail
detail photo by Styrous®
Links on the Net:
Joan Sutherland ~ excerpts from Donizetti ~ La fille du régiment
Joan Sutherland ~ excerpts from Mozart ~ Don Giovanni
Faust ~ Synopsis
Joan Sutherland ~ excerpts from Mozart ~ Don Giovanni
Faust ~ Synopsis
Faust ~ Roles
Links to music on YouTube:
Joan Sutherland ~ Jewel Song
Joan Sutherland ~ Alerte ! alerte! & Finale
Soldiers Chorus
Kremlin Guard ~ Soldiers' Chorus
final scene (Alerte! alerte!) Joan Sutherland ~ Alerte ! alerte! & Finale
Soldiers Chorus
Kremlin Guard ~ Soldiers' Chorus
Styrous® ~ Thursday, October 29, 2015
October 24, 2015
101 Reel-to-Reel Tapes 109: Marilyn Horne ~ Carmen
Marilyn Horne ~ Carmen
reel-to-reel tape cover detail
cover photo by Francesco Scavullo
detail photo by Styrous®
reel-to-reel tape cover detail
cover photo by Francesco Scavullo
detail photo by Styrous®
~ ~ ~
I
started the Vinyl LP series because I have a collection of over 20,000 vinyl record albums I am
selling; each blog entry is about an album from my collection. The 101 Reel-to-Reel Tapes series is an extension of that collection. Inquire
for information here.
~ ~ ~
Carmen (French pronunciation: [kaʁmɛn]; Spanish: [ˈkarmen]) is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on a novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, on March 3, 1875.
Marilyn Horne ~ Carmen
reel-to-reel tape box
cover photo by Francesco Scavullo
album design by Trantor/IMPAC Associates
photo of tape box by Styrous®
reel-to-reel tape box
cover photo by Francesco Scavullo
album design by Trantor/IMPAC Associates
photo of tape box by Styrous®
The opera, written in the genre of opéra comique with musical numbers separated by dialogue, is set in southern Spain, and tells the story of the downfall of Don José, a naïve soldier who is seduced by the wiles of the fiery gypsy, Carmen. José abandons his childhood sweetheart and deserts from his military duties, yet loses Carmen's love to the glamorous toreador
Escamillo, after which José kills her in a jealous rage. The depictions
of proletarian life, immorality and lawlessness, and the tragic death
of the main character on stage, broke new ground in French opera and
were highly controversial. That's some comedy!
Marilyn Horne ~ Carmen
reel-to-reel tape box back
photo by Styrous®
reel-to-reel tape box back
photo by Styrous®
The premiere on March 3, 1875, which was conducted by Adolphe Deloffre, was attended by many of Paris's leading musical figures, including Jules Massenet, Jacques Offenbach, Léo Delibes and Charles Gounod;
during the performance Gounod was overheard complaining
bitterly that Bizet had stolen the music of Micaëla's act 3 aria from
him: "That melody is mine!"
Marilyn Horne ~ Carmen
reel-to-reel tape box back details
detail photos by Styrous®
reel-to-reel tape box back details
detail photos by Styrous®
On 9 January 1884 Carmen was given its first New York Metropolitan Opera performance, to a mixed critical reception. The New York Times welcomed Bizet's "pretty and effective work", but compared Zelia Trebelli's interpretation of the title role unfavourably with that of Minnie Hauk. Thereafter Carmen was quickly incorporated into the Met's regular repertory. In February of 1906 Enrico Caruso sang José at the Met for the first time; he continued to perform in this role until 1919, two years before his death.
On 17 April 1906, on tour with the Met, Caruso sang the role at the Grand Opera House in San Francisco. Afterwards he sat up until 3 am reading the reviews in the early editions of the following day's papers. Two hours later he was awakened by the first violent shocks of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, after which he and his fellow performers made a hurried escape from the Palace Hotel.
Marilyn Horne was born in Bradford, Pennsylvania, on January 16, 1934, she is a mezzo-soprano opera
singer. She specialized in roles requiring a large sound, beauty of
tone, excellent breath support, and the ability to execute difficult coloratura passages. She was a recipient of the National Medal of Arts in 1992 and the Kennedy Center Honors in 1995. She has won four Grammy Awards.
Marilyn Horne ~ Carmen
reel-to-reel tape box interior
photo by Styrous®
reel-to-reel tape box interior
photo by Styrous®
Horne's first major professional engagement was in 1954, when she dubbed the singing voice of Dorothy Dandridge in the film Carmen Jones.
Until that point, she had worked as a background singer for several TV
sitcoms, as well as recorded covers of popular songs of the early 1950s,
which were sold in dimestores around the country for $1.98. She made an
appearance on The Odd Couple
as a character named "Jackie", her own nickname, a meek and nervous
would-be singer who develops into a full-blown diva and plays the role
of Carmen with brilliant results; she also sang on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. She made her Los Angeles debut the same year when she performed the role of Hata in The Bartered Bride with the Los Angeles Guild Opera.
Marilyn Horne ~ Carmen
reel-to-reel tape
photo by Styrous®
reel-to-reel tape
photo by Styrous®
Horne retired from the concert stage in 1999 with a recital at the Chicago Symphony Center. She still occasionally performs at pop concerts (most recently with Broadway star Barbara Cook).
Horne has also established the Marilyn Horne Foundation to help
preserve the art of vocal recitals. She teaches a series of annual
Master Classes at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music; the University of Maryland, College Park; the Manhattan School of Music; and the University of Oklahoma.
In December 2005, shortly before Horne's 72nd birthday, she was diagnosed with localized pancreatic cancer. In January 2007, she appeared at a public function for her Foundation. Interviewed by Norman Lebrecht on BBC Radio 3 on July 26, 2010, she spoke briefly about her cancer and cheerfully said, "I'm still here!"
The Marilyn Horne sings Carmen, reel-to-reel tape is for sale on eBay
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)