as regards opera music, bbc 3 seems to start to concentrate on Mozart only soon
The current opera audio on BBC3 is Wagner´s Tannhauser, but then they seem to continue with a Mozart festival:-)))) I am very happy they will give Mozart, and with such an interesting cast too.
There should be Don Giovanni, then Cosi fan tutte, Le nozze di Figaro and La clemenza di Tito, and finally Idomeneo, re di Creta.
And the transmissions aren´t only on Saturday... I hope they will be available for 7 following days and there will be no disaster such as with Don Carlo that was transmitted only as a live transmission and I missed it unfortunately. That was bad, Simon Keenlyside sings the part of Rodrigo Posa beautifully, I know it because I was lucky enough to watch Don Carlo Live in HD in the cinema on the 11th Dezember.
The current free of charge transmission of Wagner´s Tannhauser is available here.
This is written on BBC3 web about the Tannhauser:
"It's more than 20 years since the Royal Opera House last staged Wagner's opera telling the story of a medieval troubadour's tussle between the sensual and the spiritual. A new production, directed by Tim Albery, opened earlier this month and its cast is headed by the leading South African tenor Johan Botha in the title-role. The two women who represent the opposing poles of his attraction are Venus (sung by Michaela Schuster) and Elisabeth (sung by Eva-Maria Westbroek). There's also a rare chance to hear the leading German baritone Christian Gerhaher in an operatic role. The highly-experienced Wagnerian Semyon Bychkov conducts and Martin Handley introduces proceedings.
Hermann ..... Christof Fischesser (Bass)
Tannhäuser ..... Johan Botha (Tenor) he sang Radames in Live in HD Aida from the MET in 2009.
Wolfram ..... Christian Gerhaher (Baritone)
Walter ..... Timothy Robinson (Tenor)
Biterolf ..... Clive Bayley (Bass)
Heinrich ..... Steven Ebel (Tenor)
Reinmar ..... Jeremy White (Bass)
Elisabeth ..... Eva-Maria Westbroek (Soprano)
Venus ..... Michaela Schuster (Mezzo-soprano) she and Fischesser sing on the DVD Lohengrin I have with Kaufmann as Lohengrin. Schuster sings Ortrud there. A villainess:-)
Semyon Bychkov ..... Conductor
Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House."
I like very much the ouverture and of course the aria O du holder Abendstern, both Simon and Dmitri sing it beautifully:-))) (Bryn Terfel too).
I started to listen to the Tannhauser and so far like it very much:-)))
It helps a lot if I worry about the music I have to listen to, then I don´t think about all the ugly things that keep worrying me.
Btw. I also recommend two books I am reading now : English Passengers by Matthew Kneale and The Makioka Sisters by the Japanese author Tanizaki. But I should rather read The Kite Runner. The time is running and I have to finish it soon....
The Mozart audios, that come soon on BBC3:
Don Giovanni : Don Giovanni is I. D´Arcangelo, and Massetta is the Czech bassbaritone Adam Plachetka:-)) He is young, born in 1985.
Cosi fan tutte : Kiri Te Kanawa sings Fiordiligi, Dorabella is (I can´t believe my eyes:-) ) Agnes Baltsa.
Nozze di Figaro: Figaro is Kyle Ketelsen (who sang Leporello with Simon in the ROH), Mariusz Kwiecien is the Comte, Joyce di Donato sings Cherubino.
Clemenza di Tito : Tito is Mark Padmore
Idomeneo : Anthony Rolfe Johnson is Idomeneo, Anne Sofie von Otter is Idamante
and I found out that here you can listen to Carmen for 4 following days only, free of charge. With Netrebko, D´Arcangelo, Nadia Krasteva as Carmen and Massimo Giordano as Don José
There should be Don Giovanni, then Cosi fan tutte, Le nozze di Figaro and La clemenza di Tito, and finally Idomeneo, re di Creta.
And the transmissions aren´t only on Saturday... I hope they will be available for 7 following days and there will be no disaster such as with Don Carlo that was transmitted only as a live transmission and I missed it unfortunately. That was bad, Simon Keenlyside sings the part of Rodrigo Posa beautifully, I know it because I was lucky enough to watch Don Carlo Live in HD in the cinema on the 11th Dezember.
The current free of charge transmission of Wagner´s Tannhauser is available here.
This is written on BBC3 web about the Tannhauser:
"It's more than 20 years since the Royal Opera House last staged Wagner's opera telling the story of a medieval troubadour's tussle between the sensual and the spiritual. A new production, directed by Tim Albery, opened earlier this month and its cast is headed by the leading South African tenor Johan Botha in the title-role. The two women who represent the opposing poles of his attraction are Venus (sung by Michaela Schuster) and Elisabeth (sung by Eva-Maria Westbroek). There's also a rare chance to hear the leading German baritone Christian Gerhaher in an operatic role. The highly-experienced Wagnerian Semyon Bychkov conducts and Martin Handley introduces proceedings.
Hermann ..... Christof Fischesser (Bass)
Tannhäuser ..... Johan Botha (Tenor) he sang Radames in Live in HD Aida from the MET in 2009.
Wolfram ..... Christian Gerhaher (Baritone)
Walter ..... Timothy Robinson (Tenor)
Biterolf ..... Clive Bayley (Bass)
Heinrich ..... Steven Ebel (Tenor)
Reinmar ..... Jeremy White (Bass)
Elisabeth ..... Eva-Maria Westbroek (Soprano)
Venus ..... Michaela Schuster (Mezzo-soprano) she and Fischesser sing on the DVD Lohengrin I have with Kaufmann as Lohengrin. Schuster sings Ortrud there. A villainess:-)
Semyon Bychkov ..... Conductor
Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House."
I like very much the ouverture and of course the aria O du holder Abendstern, both Simon and Dmitri sing it beautifully:-))) (Bryn Terfel too).
I started to listen to the Tannhauser and so far like it very much:-)))
It helps a lot if I worry about the music I have to listen to, then I don´t think about all the ugly things that keep worrying me.
Btw. I also recommend two books I am reading now : English Passengers by Matthew Kneale and The Makioka Sisters by the Japanese author Tanizaki. But I should rather read The Kite Runner. The time is running and I have to finish it soon....
The Mozart audios, that come soon on BBC3:
Don Giovanni : Don Giovanni is I. D´Arcangelo, and Massetta is the Czech bassbaritone Adam Plachetka:-)) He is young, born in 1985.
Cosi fan tutte : Kiri Te Kanawa sings Fiordiligi, Dorabella is (I can´t believe my eyes:-) ) Agnes Baltsa.
Nozze di Figaro: Figaro is Kyle Ketelsen (who sang Leporello with Simon in the ROH), Mariusz Kwiecien is the Comte, Joyce di Donato sings Cherubino.
Clemenza di Tito : Tito is Mark Padmore
Idomeneo : Anthony Rolfe Johnson is Idomeneo, Anne Sofie von Otter is Idamante
and I found out that here you can listen to Carmen for 4 following days only, free of charge. With Netrebko, D´Arcangelo, Nadia Krasteva as Carmen and Massimo Giordano as Don José