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jec01 - I haven't forgotten you - list of recommended blu-ray discs

As I checked Amazon to refresh my memory, I was surprised to note that I really haven't obtained that many new discs in the last couple of years - strange, because there are certainly a few that I want. Anyway, here are some titles that I have in my collection and enjoy (videos - I don't have the time to do the blu-ray audios right now):


The blu-ray on the left above is a reissue of an earlier blu-ray (on the right) which I purchased practically the moment it came out. Wonderful music, yet off the beaten track of the better known Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev ballets, Ramonda can be thought of as the last great ballet of Tsarist Russia. This production seeks to return to the original choreography, costumes and sets - no Eurotrash revisionism here! Novikova is fine in the title role, although she lacks the "star power" of better known ballerinas such as Zakharova.


I'm recommending this in spite of the fact that the multi-channel tracks are MIA on this release! Vishneva, although a very fine ballerina, is a bit old for the role of Juliet. (Yeah, I know all about Fonteyn dancing this role in her forties - at least Vishneva isn't THAT old!)


These titles are stand-ins for the whole Chailly/LGO series of Mahler symphonies - I have them all so far except for the Seventh. They're all recorded in-concert with great sound. I like Chailly's earlier set of Mahler symphonies with the RCOA (and I still have the DVD-Audios and SACD's from that set - four symphonies, two on each format), but this new set is perhaps even more compelling. On blu-ray, I prefer these LGO performances to the Abbado performances with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra - in general, Chailly manages to coax more of a sense of wholeness and naturalness from his players IMHO. The SQ may also have something to do with this impression.


Rimsky-Korsakov's operatic masterpiece subjected to some horrible Eurotrash revisionism in this production. Even so, I would still recommend it! In every other respect (singing, orchestral playing, sound quality), this blu-ray is excellent, so you'd have to play the disc with the video turned off - too bad. (See my extended review, which originally appeared here, on the Amazon site.)


An all-star cast largely lives up to its hype. I'm generally not a fan of Pappano, but he's OK here. Sure, this is not Callas and Gobbi, but it's darned good in its own right.


I suppose you could say that Sveta is also a little old for the title role too, but she's pretty out of this world nevertheless, and I love the individual contributions from lower-level soloists too. Sinaisky does an excellent job with the orchestra and the sound quality is first rate.


Another production with Eurotrash overtones, but with fine singing and orchestral work. Here, I feel that the Eurotrash touches are not TOO injurious, so it's worthwhile keeping the video on during playback! The action, even in the best productions, can be hard to follow, but the rewards of this work, both aesthetic and emotional, are certainly worth the effort.


Intense performances, recorded in France. The video sometimes can look a bit strange - a kind of film look, but with odd colorations. I still recommend it on the basis of the performances and sound quality.


Irina Golub in Rubies - man, is she sexy! And the babushka piano soloist (Lyudmila Sveshnikova) in the same work (Stravinsky's Capriccio for piano and orchestra) is outstanding! SQ is excellent throughout!


Another "shut off the video and listen to the soundtrack" Eurotrash production, with huge amounts of energy imparted to the proceedings by Gergiev and crew. Avoid the HIP performance with JEGgie - this Gergiev disc is the one to have, despite the Eurotrash shenanigans!


Mrs. Simon Rattle and Christian Gerhaher are the outstanding soloists, and the Clevelanders evoke the often extreme emotions of the various songs and symphony movement, while Boulez himself barely breaks a sweat!


Eurotrash staging again, but the thrilling performance of this all too little known opera is worth the price of the disc. One of Berlioz' most mercurial works - what imagination he had!


Thielemann is hardly my favorite conductor, but he does a good enough job here, and the playing of the SkD is top notch. And the mezzo solos by Garanca are a knock out!


A wonderful production which captures the wrenching intensity of this great opera! (At one point, they flood the stage.) Mattila is excellent (even though, again, possibly too old for the role), and this is also some of the best conducting I've heard from Belohlavek.


I'm mainly recommending this album for the performance of Strauss's Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme - with all its exposed work for the soloists within the orchestra - executed triumphantly by the COE. There's even an OK performance of the Ravel Concerto by the Wolf Lady herself, and of course, Jurowski is impressive throughout.


Frittoli was past her prime when this was recorded and she gets a pretty bad wobble sometimes. The production has to be seen to be believed - I'm kind of OK with it. But as one wag posted, "even though large parts of this production feature topless women, it's still very gay!" I recommend it if you're up for something very unusual! And, BTW, I find the music itself very compelling (as much as some folks like to make fun of the oft-played "Meditation").


It's good, but as one exasperated poster wrote, why does Keenlyside (the Don) have to take his shirt off all the time in this production. I agree. After all, who does he think he is? Putin? With Mackerras conducting, there are the expected HIP intrusions, but nothing too serious.

There are more I'd recommend, but I'm losing it right now - I hope some of these recommendations are helpful.



Edits: 03/23/17

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Topic - jec01 - I haven't forgotten you - list of recommended blu-ray discs - Chris from Lafayette 21:29:43 03/22/17 (4)

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