Let's talk music, no genre boundaries
This is an offshoot of the jazz thread. I and others found that we could not talk about jazz without discussing other musical genres, as well as the philosophy of music. So, this is a thread in which people can suggest good music of all genres, and spout off your feelings about music itself.
Here's a snippet from Kiri Te Kanawa singing Puccini's La Rondine. I love her voice in this opera. It is a pristine soprano. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8pg4rsj1_g I listened to Liszt played by Sofronitsky today. Absolutely electrifying. I couldn't find Moravec playing Liszt, but I listened to a piece by Debussy and it was excellent. |
Beautiful rendition by Te Kanawa of this beautiful Puccini aria. Thanks! It is common for artists (not just singers) to show some degree, however small, of their ethnicity when performing, or creating.. This is akin to a trace of accent of one’s native tongue when speaking another language. Conversely, with singers there can be a higher degree of comfort when singing in their native tongue. There might also be certain stylistic influences that are unique to a particular culture’s music that are better expressed by a native. Either way, this doesn’t necessarily make for a better or worse performance since there are other musical factors involved, but singing in one’s native tongue the music of a composer of one’s own ethnicity can sometimes add a certain “something” to the performance. Not better or worse than Te Kanawa’s wonderful rendition, but to me this sounds more……well, Italian. |
I am not a fan of Opera (save exception as Faust Busoni with Fisher-Dieskau or Kurt Weil or Mozart operas or Akhnaten from Glass etc ) Because it is almost impossible to speak and saying and singing at the same times in perfect musical harmony...It takes giant singers...I prefer sacred music... Here Scotto succeed for me to keep perfect balance between pure music and poetical diction without falling into "theater" ... When i love an opera i listen to it as music not as theater, I prefer even to not read the libretto...I listen to it many times... If we listen Scotto here we can listen her "on repeat" as music without being bothered by a " speech" in a "play" ...I love her here ...
Renata Scotto : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-t3L-ZWtKs&list=RDg-t3L-ZWtKs&start_radio=1
Montserrat Caballe do as Scotto a marvellous Doretta for the same reason but in his own way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ5cL-sJZhw&list=RDg-t3L-ZWtKs&index=2
I like Mirella Freni i discovered long ago and loved in Vivaldi and in Mozart who was my first Opera love ....
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Thank you both for your contributions to sopranos singing "Chi Il bel songo di Doretta" from Puccini's La Rondine. If anybody else wants to contribute, that's how you should look up your favorite soprano. You're right @frogman about there being a more natural flow from a native Italian speaker. I liked Freni and Scotto's versions very much. Caballe's voice was a bit darker and deeper than I expect, probably from favoring Ta Kanawa all these years. What I love about her rendition is the lightness of her voice reminding me of Art Deco Tiffany lamps. But here's a treat. A video of Callas singing "Chi Il bel songo di Doretta." with subtitles. You can close your eyes if you listen @mahgister, but I think in this case the lyrics are important. These are upper class people singing about the ecstasy of love and art. Probably couldn't get away with writing those lyrics today. In this video we also get to see the magical Callas: |
But i like Puccini ...