Post by Chris May 26, 2012 (1 of 8)
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While many of my fellow Swedes and other Europeans too, will most probably sit glued to their TV sets watching the Eurovision Song Contest tonight,I will spin some real music.
My latest re-discovery on SACD since returning home from a winter and spring abroad,is the truly excellent Elektra from Haenssler Profil.
Castor reviewed it enthusiastically years ago but my first impressions where not 100% positive.
I had long had Birgit Nilsson on an early 60s DECCA recording on LP as my reference for this work.
But repeated playings and with a clearly improved playback system, ( yes that new headphone amp and those Studio Quality Headphones again),I can now enjoy these stunningly well recorded SACDs in all their glory.
While Deborah Polaski is not quite the Elektra Birgit Nilsson was ,there is both musically and SQ wise a lot to wallow in on these two SACDs.
There is no information in the booklet or elsewhere, whether it is a PCM or DSD recording.
But with SQ in clear SOTA class, who cares.
Not to be missed by those who like Richard Strauss in general and Elektra in particular.
One thing is clear it is a much spicier brew than the one they cook at the Eurovision Song Contest!
Warning! Not recommended for those with a maximum five minutes attention span!
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From my Stereophile review in 2006:
"Opera is an expensive business, and aside from DVDs, few as yet have appeared in multichannel. Still fewer have been worth having, but this one is. In her second recording of the title role, Deborah Polaski's performance lies somewhere between the glorious sounds of Nilsson (on Decca with Solti) and the dramatic commitment of Varnay (on Naxos with Reiner). Touching neither pole but singing with strength and intensity, Polaski triumphs over the difficulties, at times with gleaming abandon. All the other principals are excellent, and conductor Bychkov clearly has this musical melodrama in hand, although somewhat less forcefully than Solti's relentless surge. There are only a few surround effects, including one right at the beginning, but they don't distract from the excellent presentation of singers and orchestra with power and transparency."
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Post by seth May 26, 2012 (3 of 8)
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As I said in another thread on this recording, it may not surpass the Birgit Nilsson recording (nothing does), but it's still a terrific performance that's vividly recorded. I wish Bychkov would follow it up with "Salome" and "Rosenkavalier."
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Post by Chris May 27, 2012 (4 of 8)
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seth said:
As I said in another thread on this recording, it may not surpass the Birgit Nilsson recording (nothing does), but it's still a terrific performance that's vividly recorded. I wish Bychkov would follow it up with "Salome" and "Rosenkavalier."
I agree , especially an equally well recorded Salome would be very welcome imo.
But who is today's Salome of excellence?
On LPs I have both Birgit Nilssson on DECCA again, and the 70s EMI Hildegard Behrens from Karajan and the VPO recorded in the Musikvereinsaal Vienna.
Both musically very good but neither of them with the clarity and resolution that the Bychkov Elektra offers, so yes more Strauss operas on SACD please.
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Bychkov has a habit of making very good records, e.g. his Shostakovich symphonies on Avie.
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Post by Jonty May 27, 2012 (6 of 8)
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Another Elektra is on its way from the LSO and Gergiev.
We could do with a Salome and Bychkov would give us a good one. How about it Profil?
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I would also recommend the Arthaus Blu Ray, with Meier and Pape, cond. Gatti. This was the disc which finally convinced me about Elektra. A magnetic, compelling performance.
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Post by Chris May 28, 2012 (8 of 8)
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nucaleena said:
I would also recommend the Arthaus Blu Ray, with Meier and Pape, cond. Gatti. This was the disc which finally convinced me about Elektra. A magnetic, compelling performance.
What about the production?
Is it worth watching ?
Or is it yet another of those horrible modern,completely out of touch with both the music and libretto,productions where one has to listen with closed eyes?
If so, what is the point of having the Blu Ray?
There are exceptions though. I saw a wonderful production of Salome a couple of years ago in Budapest and last summer I saw Both Tosca and Turandot in beautiful productions at the Opera Festival in Riga, so yes there is still hope for iconic Opera done right.
Back home in Stockholm the ignorant producers absolutely ruin most of what they lay their hands on.
Horrible Wagner Ring ,ridiculously wrong Mozart and Verdi in Factory settings and so on.
It was really nice to hear why Janowski has stopped conducting at major Opera Houses in Germany. The situation seems to be even worse there.
One of the real advantages of Opera on SACD is that you don't have to put up with all this nonsense.
I have indeed browsed the Blu Ray Opera Catalogue but found little that I would care to actually watch.
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