Benjamin Britten's recordings of his own operas are definitive -- cutting out the interpretive middle man and going straight to the heart of every bar, every scene. For sure, there are better sounding, and in many cases better sung, recordings to be had, especially of the popular works like Peter Grimes and Billy Budd; but none of them are as ...
Decca is to be commended for reissuing the original 1959 recording of Peter Grimes, conducted by the composer and starring Peter Pears, who created the role. There have been a number of subsequent recordings of the opera, but this one, both as a document of the composer's intentions, and on its own musical merit, remains essential for any Britten ...
This second volume completes Decca's compact reissue of Britten conducting his own operas. As with the first volume, it is a self-recommending testament to the synergy of Britten's talents as a composer and conductor, and his continuing preeminence as a recorded interpreter of his own music. Because Britten never completed recordings of his Death ...
The most significant drawback to this live 1962 performance of Un ballo in maschera at the Royal Opera House is the audio quality. In general, the sound is somewhat muffled and distant, and distractions like persistent audience coughing and throat-clearing tend to be in the foreground. There are some moments where the sound quality declines ...
While the harsh, gray, and cramped sound here assuredly makes this a recording that only a lover of Elektra could love, those who do love Strauss' most emotionally extreme opera will indeed love this recording. Taken from a live performance given at the Covent Garden Royal Opera House on May 29, 1958, this two-disc set features soprano Gerda ...
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