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I never thought I would be writing comments on an opera recording! Especially an opera whose music, while utterly transporting and at times, chillingly explosive, is set to a plot that is both macabre and even psychopathic. But on one level this recording may be just what an opera novice calls for. It’s performed in a single act, with just two singers, a bass (Laszlo Polgar) and a mezzo-soprano (Lldiko Komlosi), and lasts less than an hour. But for me this composition is no lightweight. What Bartok’s “Bluebeard’s Castle” may lack in length it more than makes up with *immense* strength and beautifully complex music that provides a sculptured depiction of the unfolding scenario.But let me digress. I don’t know why I bought this disc. Frankly, I don’t even recall buying it. I probably was not aware that it was an opera. I am not an opera fan (although I do have an open mind), and I don’t find the storyline the least bit palatable. Plus this SACD is from Philips and I have only recently begun to recover from the terrible experience I had with Gergiev’s “Sheherazade” several years ago. The disc was just in my stack of unopened SACD’s. But what the heck, I’ve always loved Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra, so I decided to give it a spin.
“Bluebeard’s Castle”, for me, gets off to an inauspicious start, the first track being a dialog preface spoken in Hungarian by the Budapest Festival Orchestra conductor, Ivan Fischer. I had not yet opened the liner notes and the dialog was completely unexpected and not pleasing. Had it not been for the fact that I recently broke my leg (on the road to full recovery, thank you) and was not able to get up with facility I would have saved “Bluebeard’s Castle” for another day (probably in the far distant future). But as it was I decided to tough it out. I began to thumb through the liner notes of the plot, that I initially found loathsome. We’re talking about a dark, dank, grim castle that has 7 seven doors behind which ghastly things have happened.
But almost immediately the beauty and later the power of the music, vocals and orchestra, begins to “neutralize” and then later “glorify” the libretto. The music with an infinite palette of interwoven textures transports the listener just slightly above the fray, so as to provide a vivid bird’s eye view of the shocking scenes being described, but not actually being immersed in it. And in the end, while certainly dazed and perhaps saddened by the turn of events the music succeeds remarkably in portraying an almost (not quite) sympathetic understanding of what has occurred and why.
The castle (and its inhabitants), while invariably shrouded in mystery and unrelenting gloom, is nevertheless an amazingly eclectic domicile, with stunningly picturesque vistas and is clearly in a great location (smile). Bartok’s music eloquently and *beautifully*, describes it in vivid detail. And on several occasions it is done with explosive orchestral climaxes whose sheer power and weight rival, if not surpass, any found in Mahler’s 6th or Prokofiev’s 5th. The opening of the 5th door is accompanied by an unmitigated, orchestral slam-dunk for the ages, a real rim shaker. (Do a system check to ensure that your components can handle the workload). I have learned recently from the Living Stereo opera series that there is no shortage of smashing orchestral fortissimos (or X rated plots for that matter) in the world of opera. Try the Strauss “Salome” and “Elektra” for starters. But the Bartok’s “Bluebeard Castle” takes it to a new and startling level, even factoring in that the Living Stereo recordings are 50+ years old.
All the while the two voices, the bass and the mezzo-soprano, are in fine form and beautifully and dramatically portray the libretto content and music. I think the bass does a better job, but to be fair his role seems less demanding. The mezzo-soprano seems to have a more difficult task and gives a fine performance although in the beginning once or twice she seems on the edge of her range.
With respect to the libretto I found it essential to follow along the first couple of times I listened to this disc. The libretto is fairly easy to follow until the end when the two characters begin singing concurrently. I found Ivan Fischer’s opening dialog (the translation) to be poetically confusing, but it’s not very long and should be taken in at least the first time. I’ll probably skip it with subsequent listening.
For me, this recording surpasses, in all aspects, the Fischer/Budapest Channel Classics recordings, all which are among my favorites, especially the Mahler 6th. But this Philips recording is their superior especially in dynamic range, but is also outright more spatial. With respect to multi-channel, there is really no comparison. The Channel Classics recordings are conservative with rear channel contribution to a fault. The Philips recording include far more rear channel participation, but is still never intrusive. The result is a much closer to real-to-life presentation.
So far I have listened to “Bluebeard’s Castle” four complete times, and I’m just getting into it. For the uninitiated I think this is a great choice to delve into opera. I am interested to learn what opera devotees feel about this opera and about this performance.
Follow Ups:
of a well regarded classic version of this from 1965- Kertesz. It is my own favorite, maybe because for a long time it was my only version. It was out on a cheap remastered CD, but I did get the SACD and it is quite nice sonically. Not multi-channel of course. This is still the one for me.
Yeah. It's well-recorded but I much prefer the Eotvos recording on Hanssler Classic for its even greater drama and intensity. Well-recorded, too, although it is a regular CD and not a MCH SACD.And I am a big Fischer fan. Have you heard his Mahler 2?
I suspect that it would be unlikely that many SACDs would considered "definitive" or say, among the top 5 available in the catalog that were recorded since, say 1982-3 (CDs debut in the US). I would think that we are lucky if most are "serviceable" to "very good", because it takes years for the really good performances to be displaced. I would hope that the Bartok "Bluebeard Castle" to be at least "good".Further among the 4000 SACDs available among all genres which ones are held out as being top tier?
But my question is not just rhetorical. I wonder what newly recorded SACDs are considered top of the heap or near top of the heap among often recorded classical compositions?
I will pick up the Fischer Mahler 2.
Leaving aside the usual subjectivity caveat (as you say, so what?)and roaming the shelves with BBC, Penguin, and Gramophone sources filed away in the neurological Hard Drive, I would venture to suggest that there is an abundance of recently-recorded classical SACDs which can hold their own even among the most arduous of competition. Indeed, that is precisely why I was prepared to take the hi-rez plunge: with truck-loads of Karajans, Barbirollis, Jochums, Kubeliks etc., etc., I had zero need for a second-rate conductor directing a third-rate orchestra just to elicit a shattering dynamic range and a greatly extended frequency response!!A mere sample, therefore, arranged by label:
Praga:Tchaikovsky and Bartok Quartets (Parkanyi); Beethoven and Brahms Quartets (Prazak); Haydn and Martinu Quartets (Kocian)BIS: Bach Cantatas (Suzuki); Grieg Orchestral (Bergen/Ruud)
Hyperion: Almost anything by Robert King and King's Consort.
Telarc: Mozart Requiem (Atlanta/Runnicles); Nielsen #5 Cincinnati/Jarvi); Vaughan Williams #1 (Atlanta/Spano); Bach Suites (Boston B/Pearlman)
Linn: Shostakovitch #11 (Scottish/Lazarev); Britten Orchestral (Gould); Almost anything by Palladian Ensemble.
Channel: Beethoven 'Cello Sonatas (Wispelwey); Britten 'Cello Suites (Wispelwey); Vivaldi Op.4 (Podger); Ravel Piano Works (Lazic).
Alia Vox: Anything!! (i.e. Jordi Savall)
Pentatone: Schmidt #4 (Kreizberg); Prokofiev and Glazunov Violin Concertos (Fischer/Kreizberg); Stravinsky Dumbarton Oaks etc. (Jarvi)
Polygram/Universal: Bartok Duke Bluebeard (Fischer); Shostakovitch #7 (Gergiev); Tchaikovsky #6 (Gergiev); Mozart Piano Sonatas (Brendel); Mahler #9 (Chaiily); Lully Orchestral (Goebel); Rameau Orchestral (Minkowski)
Sony: Almost anything by Midori and Murray Perahia!!
And there's plenty more where these came from--not bad for a format just up and running and which gets many of its plaudits for reissues of Szell, Reiner, Dorati, Munch, Monteux etc.!!!
Good talkin' to ya, John.
P.S. Just seen your 'Membran Jazz' post. A rather more informed and detailed reply in the works!!
I truly appreciate your input and this list. Many of these I own (including, of course, Bartok Duke Bluebeard (Fischer). Many I don't have, but I will be adding some for sure. I certainly don't hold myself out as any sort of classical music sage but my experience with thousands of recordings and my having been a season ticket holder to one or more symphony orchestras for the past 25 years or so I find many of my SACDs to rank among the best (not necessarily *the* best) and most enjoyable I have heard during the digital era if not before.
Robert C. Lang
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Pretty much got a reply from lots of the classical music fans on this forum on what their specific viewpoint comes with pulling the trigger on SACD recordings considering what performances are available on CD and LP.One consideration on my part (and it is a big one IMHO) is that I listen in multichannel and that track is included on most classical SACDs. :)
...is right up there, in my opinion. In particular the first is outstanding IMO and the others at least "very good". Tempo is on the fast side, a bit like Kleiber...and the interpretations have a propulsive thrust that reminds me in some ways of some of Walter's work.The DSD recordings I think are excellent...a bit boxey and dry in the bass (that's the Barbicon where recorded, I understand) but otherwise outstanding...purely subjective, of course, but I consider it the most realistic recording reproduction of an orchestra I have..better than anything on Columbia, Phillips, or Channel Classics that I have heard (my Bis are all chamber, so can't comment on them). Dynamics are spectacular at times....Haitink uses the kettle drums in an unusually percussive way to accent certain sections of the readings.
These were recorded in concert during Fall 2005 and Spring 2006 in London during a cycle that received great acclaim in the Londaon press; the Orchestra just completed the same cycle during a week at Philharmonic Hall in NYC, again to great acclaim.
For my money, my best investment in SACD in over 200 disks.
Harry
A couple of things tipped the boat for me:1) A significant number of Classical labels were newly recording in PCM and then converting to SACD. The idea of owning a SACD player just to hear "converted" PCM pissed me off. What an expensive and silly long walk around the block.
2) Ordering from overseas for many items was just too expensive
3) (No fault of the well-meaning companies that kindly adopted SACD), how long would it take for definitive Classical recordings to show up on SACD?
4) I don't want to get into a format argument, but I discovered the best way to get "analog-like" sound was to go to the source: vinyl. (Several qualifications: a record cleaning machine of some sort is a must, EMI/Decca/London/early RCA and Mercury pressings and recordings--millions of them floating around--are for the most part small miracles of recorded sound, Philips and DG to a lesser extent, and here definitive performances abound.) After a year and a half I have absolutely no regrets.)I've literally not visited SA-CD.net in a year until a couple of weeks ago, and I'm delighted to see vast numbers of new titles from all different kinds of labels that have tweeked my interest again. A cursory look at new DVDA titles that have come out in the mean time--at least Classical--has made the format beyond irrelevant for me at this point. No offense, but I just can't gather the time nor the curiosity or strength to hear Marin Alsop's interpretations of Brahms. Sorry. In warmed over Naxos PCM no less, converted to SACD.)
Ivan Fischer's Mahler 2nd is on it's way, it will be heard in 2 channel stereo.
I prefer his recording of the 6th on SACD over the Fischer so I thought I'd wait to see how his 2nd stacks up.For now, I favor Klemperer's EMI Great Recordings of the Century for the 2nd over other performances of this classical work that I've heard. Essential IMHO!!
That's interesting about the Klemperer. I found the first mov't very rustic but the finale curiously "sensible." Bernstein on DG is my fav, when that pipe organ comes in for the first time, it *is* as if the universe is vibrating. Yes, an 8th from Zander as well as and 8th from MTT is still in the works. I've not heard any Zander, and I've always considered MTT very sensitive with musical scores, but always just short of sublime, as subjective assessment, I know. I've heard him many times live.Bummer is that I don't have surround anymore. There is no way I could afford mid-fi X's 5. I added Vandersteen center and rears with a Harmon Kardon amp for just them, coupled with a MuFi amp to power the L/R Vandy's. It all worked, but the visual lack of integration began to knaw on me.
* His Goldbergs are definitely top 5, and some prefer it to, say, both Gould versions.
* Bach Keyboard Concertos are up there.
* A case could be made for his Italian Concerto (on "Plays Bach")
* Chopin Etudes--definitely a contender.* Also, the Rene Jacobs Figaro on Harmonia Mundi. Possibly also Julio Cesare.
* Definitely some possibilities among the Suzuki Bach Cantatas.
No slam dunks here, but some contenders.
If you simply ask, what SACD releases are considered top rank, you'd find some. By restricting it to "newly recorded", I think you'd have a tough time. But if you open it up to any SACD, you have:Beethoven 5 and 7 sym from Kleiber- always rated among the top
Sibelius violin concerto with Hiefetz- (also the rest of Heifetz on RCA)
Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra and MSPC from Reiner
Stravinsky's Rite of Spring from Boulez (Japanese SACD)and probably quite a few more on Everest and Mercury that I cannot recall right now. All this is highly subjective of course.
Taking advantage of it being on the shelf at a local Borders store. I'll more than likely buy it soon utilizing a Borders Rewards coupon and will definitely have gotten my money's worth considering all the times I've referred to it in the last few months! :)
Here is another book suggestion. Another type of reference guide is the Rough Guide to Classical Music 2nd edition. This is not so much a record guide, although they do recommend specific records, usually only one choice for every piece. But it is a well-organized overview of classical composers which includes some modern ones like Birtwistls and Saariaho. I find this book invaluable.Since my own Penguin guide dates back to 2002, I will probably pick up a new one as well.
Thank you. I understand that top tier performances could be found among the releases of SACD. Many of those, especially at the beginning of SACD, were hand picked *because* they were great performances and also sounded good.But there have now been hundreds of new SACD recorded in the last 6 years. How many of those (subjective, of course) rise to the top of those that have multiple recordings in their libraries? For example, there are *numerous* newly recorded Mahler symphonies on SACD. Kal and many others laud the Fischer Mahler 2nd. Were does it stack up compared to other CD recorded or released since 1983 (arbitrary date tied to the advent of CD in the US). I have limited to the digital era because to bring vinyl into the picture would make it even more impossible to make suggestions, however subjective.
I think this all has some relevance because for the last 4 years are so (most of the history of SACD) almost all newly recorded SACDs, especially classical, are multi-channel, which, accept it or not, is the on *real* distinquishing factor between SACD and CD. (I would bet 99% of consumers couldn’t tell the difference between a two channel SACD and CD) Multi-channel is really the only reason for SACD to exist from a marketing/growth standpoint.
Which brings me full circle back to Fischer's "Bluebeard Castle". I have heard only this account. Clearly, it is damn near impossible for it to be the "best" subjective or not. But is it "serviceable" or "good", or better. By almost all measures this is an excellent *sounding* recording. I think most ears (not all) will agree. You would think that an all-Hungarian cast of top caliber would also provide a damn good performance of a frequently performed Hungarian piece. But not necessarily so. Heck, it tough to find even a regional American orchestra to botch up "American in Paris". It is generally at "good".
That this is all subjective has never impeded opinions here in the past. I think its fun and enlightening.
It's an unbelieveable moment, isn't it? It's one of the first operas I got into as well, now I have around 30.This release by Philips was just a class act and you're right, Channel hasn't surpassed as of yet, but Fischer's release of the Mahler 2nd has caused me to re-install my SACD player that I gave to my brother about a year and a half ago after hearing some Classical vinyl for the first time in 20 years.
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