# Help!!! I'm seriously bored!!! Recommendations please!



## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Please give me one or more sure-fire recommendation(s) of opera DVDs/blu-rays.

(Moderators, please if possible don't move this to the sub-forum. I see the sub-forum as a place that has been created for *reviews* so that they are more easily found. These general discussion threads with demand for recommendations and the such won't be as visible in the sub-forum therefore will attract fewer replies.)

*Inclusion criteria:*

1. Must be off the beaten path (I own most of the beaten path already - one of the reasons why I'm bored). One way to eliminate the beaten path: I do own and/or know well all of the 100 operas recommended in our top-100 thread, so none of those would work. Exceptions would be considered only if there is a new production that is so outstanding that even someone who knows four or five versions of that same opera already and is quite bored, wouldn't be bored watching it. I mean, remember, it should be a sure-fire thing and the best way to avoid boredom is to watch something new (for me) so if it's not new (for me) it would have to be reaaaaaaaly outstanding.

2. Must be a very entertaining, high quality opera; not some weird experimental thing. Good orchestration and beautiful vocal music are a must; reasonably good libretto as well (when I'm bored I have little patience for weak libretti)

3. Must have attractive/sexy soprano and/or mezzo. Advanced stages of female undress (preferably with bare-naked cool **** and legs) are appreciated but not required (I'm not that primitive). Exceptions to this attractiveness rule will only be considered if the singer displays such outstanding vocal powers that one would forgive her for not being pretty - but when I'm bored, I'd better have an attractive female singer (tenors can be tubby, I don't care). I mean, exceptions would have to be of the Montserrat Caballé order of magnitude, nothing less. If less, must be pretty - are we clear on this? She doesn't need to be of the Anna Netrebko order of magnitude, but at least pretty enough to make it pleasant and interesting, OK?

4. Must be available on DVD or blu-ray with subtitles in at least one of the three languages I can read without breaking a sweat (English, French or Spanish). I do have a region-free, PAL/NTSC player so imports not made for the US market are allowed. Older DVDs without widescreen, simple stereo tracks, etc, are allowed if the above four conditions are met, as well as non-commercial DVDs with decent sound and image quality (but with subtitles) like those from Premiere Opera or House of Opera. Of course, high quality commercial DVDs / blu-rays are preferred.

*Exclusion criteria*

1. No Eurotrash staging (but tasteful updates, minimalist staging, etc, are allowed). Or at the very least, like Aramis says, no Eurotrash without cool ****. Exceptions may be considred for Eurotrash *with* cool ****.

2. No atonal music. I've been exploring 20th century operas and beyond - and I actually do like them - but when I'm bored I don't have patience for them. You know, I want to be entertained without having to think too hard. Bored people tend to get lazy.

3. If the material is only available as an import from abroad (I'm in the United States) and only from certain vendors, of course vendors that don't ship to the United States would have to be excluded.

4. No outrageous collectors price. I don't think I've ever paid more than $50 for an opera DVD or blu-ray, and I don't intend to start. I'm bored, but I'm not crazy.

5. Myaskovsky, this is for you: no Russian opera, please.:lol: No, I'm kidding. Russian operas that *do* fulfill the four criteria above *will* be considered, but please make sure that they truly fulfill them for someone who is not you.

I trust that folks like Herkku, Natalie, Gaston, DA, Sospiro, Alan, and others, will find ways to help this poor bored soul. Folks like CTP, Aramis and World_Violist sometimes do surprise me with things off the beaten path. New users have popped up from other parts of the world recently, and may as well find some intriguing off-beaten operas.

So, my friends, what are your ideas? We could make of this a sort of competition - who can think first of something that truly fulfills the inclusion criteria and avoids the exclusion criteria?

Thanks in advance.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

OK, no takers, so far... 
The conditions may have been too draconian.
But I don't think so, it is possible to find productions that qualify.
I think I've just found one on my own:


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

This is likely to be fun as well although the attractiveness part is not fulfilled (but this time, in purpose):


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

I'm watching this but it's more Dialogues of les Carmelites with monks than a tit-fest.

I'm enjoying it but that might have something to do with my deep devotion to Ruggero Raimondi.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

What about this, comes recommended by Gaston.










And I've just ordered this, looks lots of fun:


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

The Pizzetti doesn't seem to fulfill all criteria. The Previn, I own already. The last one, I've never heard of. Tell me more once it arrives, please.


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## bassClef (Oct 29, 2006)

Buy a copy of Playboy and have it open and ready to satisfy your breast-fixation, then at least your remaining requirements will be more easily met.


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

Your limitation to video recordings tie my hands - you want things off the beaten path, deal with sad truth that they are not enough popular to get expensive and good staging worth of good DVD release. 

Asking for things off the beaten path on DVD is like asking for independent artistic cinema movies with Brad Pitt and Scarlett Johanson.


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## myaskovsky2002 (Oct 3, 2010)

*Understood, no Russian*

Well... I love Wagner, you have a big choice there. The magnificient Tristan und Isolde, the Nibelungen...

Richard Strauss or...

Schreker: I love his opera Die Gezaichneten conducted by Kent Nagano, un chef d'oeuvre.











or, if you are coraugious like me, try to go to

First opera and buy cheaper, not the best versions but unique operas.

http://premiereopera.com/

You can try:

The dwarf (Zemlinsky) based on the Infanta's birthday by Oscar Wilde, speaking about uglyness as Schreker's Die Gezeichneten (les damnés). Both terrible stories. The have the DVD on *the house of opera*

http://search.store.yahoo.net/yhst-...ne=http://store.operapassion.com/cd18339.html

Here you can see many Zemlinsky's operas, none of them available on regular stores.

Two weird stores for weird Martin

Of course you can try Smetana, many rare operas available in these places, Janacek or the creator of Hungarian opera: Ferenc Erkel.

God! So many things!

Good luck and enjoy.

It is worth taking a look in the house of opera and First opera...Be careful though with subtitles, sometimes they are absent...sometimes just in Japanease!!!! LOL

Martin


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

bassClef said:


> Buy a copy of Playboy and have it open and ready to satisfy your breast-fixation, then at least your remaining requirements will be more easily met.


You do realize that my breast-fixation is tongue-in-cheek, don't you?


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

OK, I got this one, and it is, in one word, STUNNING!!!!


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Aramis said:


> Your limitation to video recordings tie my hands - you want things off the beaten path, deal with sad truth that they are not enough popular to get expensive and good staging worth of good DVD release.
> 
> Asking for things off the beaten path on DVD is like asking for independent artistic cinema movies with Brad Pitt and Scarlett Johanson.


Sure, but that's why I said that I'd accept recommendations of non-commercial DVDs from businesses like House of Opera and Premiere Opera. These cost $5 and often have interesting productions that you can't find elsewhere. Of course, video and audio quality suffers, but they can still deliver good value.

And there are still a few good productions of interesting operas that are off the beaten path. For example, when they did the clever production in Lyon of La Pietra del Paragone with the video trickery, most people (including me) had never heard of that opera. I see that production by a small French regional company as the equivalent of independent cinema.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

I've always been intrigued by this - but you've probably got it:


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

myaskovsky2002 said:


> Well... I love Wagner, you have a big choice there. The magnificient Tristan und Isolde, the Nibelungen...
> 
> Richard Strauss or...
> 
> ...


Yeesss!!! That's what I'm talking about, thanks!
Yes, in my original post I had mentioned that non-commercial DVDs are fine - I have bought recently 10 DVDs from House of Opera and 10 from Premiere Opera and I'm generally pleased with most of them (Premiere Opera being generally better in terms of audio and video quality). But yes, subtitles are a problem. I've been able to follow some by downloading libretti from the Internet.

Wagner of course doesn't qualify as off the beaten path and I know all of his except the first two that he did in his youth. Same with Richard Strauss. But your other suggestions are highly appreciated!:tiphat:


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

mamascarlatti said:


> I've always been intrigued by this - but you've probably got it:


No, I actually don't have this one. Is it good? The legs requirement seems to be met.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Almaviva said:


> No, I actually don't have this one. Is it good? The legs requirement seem to be met.


No, no, YOU have to fork out first and tell me whether to get it.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

mamascarlatti said:


> No, no, YOU have to fork out first and tell me whether to get it.


Fair enough but if I'm not mistaken the reviews weren't that favorable, which is why I didn't buy it. One would expect that with these legs in full display, I'd have jumped on it if there weren't other major impediments.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Almaviva said:


> Fair enough but if I'm not mistaken the reviews weren't that favorable, which is why I didn't buy it. One would expect that with these legs in full display, I'd have jumped on it if there weren't other major impediments.


Dunno, I've just checked the reviews on Amazon and it seems as though the production is a bit OTT but many liked it - singing and music-wise anyway.

And in addition to legs it has Charles Workman whom I adore. I've got that One-click feeling coming on...


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## bassClef (Oct 29, 2006)

Almaviva said:


> You do realize that my breat-fixation is tongue-in-cheek, don't you?


So was my reply


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

bassClef said:


> So was my reply


Fair enough, then.:tiphat:

I mean, it's not just a breast fixation. There are legs too!


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

mamascarlatti said:


> Dunno, I've just checked the reviews on Amazon and it seems as though the production is a bit OTT but many liked it - singing and music-wise anyway.
> 
> And in addition to legs it has Charles Workman whom I adore. I've got that One-click feeling coming on...


You sure about that? It sounds very Eurotrashy to me:

"people parading to and fro across the stage waving flags, people doing cartwheels, women shaking sheets, everyone finding the need to step up on a box or some other object to stand out from the crowd. There were also some new ones including dancing nuns in white habits, roller-skating men in their `tidy whities', a nude `dancing' life-sized marionette and* someone in an ape suit* rolling around the stage."


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Almaviva said:


> You sure about that? It sounds very Eurotrashy to me:
> 
> "people parading to and fro across the stage waving flags, people doing cartwheels, women shaking sheets, everyone finding the need to step up on a box or some other object to stand out from the crowd. There were also some new ones including dancing nuns in white habits, *roller-skating men in their `tidy whities'*, a nude `dancing' life-sized marionette and someone in an ape suit rolling around the stage."


Do you think this might include Charles Workman?


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

mamascarlatti said:


> Do you think this might include Charles Workman?


I can't take my eyes away from those legs, so, I wouldn't know.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

myaskovsky2002 said:


> Well... I love Wagner, you have a big choice there. The magnificient Tristan und Isolde, the Nibelungen...
> 
> Richard Strauss or...
> 
> ...


OK, Martin, any irritation I've had with you due to your extremely insisting obsession with Russian opera, I have dropped now (I hope you also got my apology in the Petibon thread when I said that yes, I was being rude to you) that you have provided an extremely interesting recommendation in this Die Gezeichneten.

I have picked your suggestion as best one on this thread.

All criteria have been met. The prelude alone is something that should elevate this opera to the hall of fame of one of the most impressive achievements of 20th century music. Wow! I must say, wow!!! This is really beautiful!

The soprano is cute, and there are cool ****!

OK, big guy, this one is a winner, and I have ordered my copy. Thanks again, this one is sure to cure my boredom!!!:tiphat:


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## Herkku (Apr 18, 2010)

Rossini's La Gazzetta is really worth having! I've been thinking of writing a review of it, but something else has always come first and now I need to watch it again to be able to write about it.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

OK, I have bought my boredom antidotes already:
Le Roi D'Ys, Die Gezeichneten, and another one that I added on my own: Mireille.
Sorry, Natalie, I even clicked on La Gazzetta but then cancelled the order. I'm really not sure about apes rolling around on the stage.


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## myaskovsky2002 (Oct 3, 2010)

*Thank you*


```
OK, Martin, any irritation I've had with you due to your extremely insisting obsession with Russian opera, I have dropped now (I hope you also got my apology in the Petibon thread when I said that yes, I was being rude to you) that you have provided an extremely interesting recommendation in this Die Gezeichneten.

I have picked your suggestion as best one on this thread.

All criteria have been met. The prelude alone is something that should elevate this opera to the hall of fame of one of the most impressive achievements of 20th century music. Wow! I must say, wow!!! This is really beautiful!

The soprano is cute, and there are cool ****!

OK, big guy, this one is a winner, and I have ordered my copy. Thanks again, this one is sure to cure my boredom!!!
```
I am glad I could be useful to you. I love this opera very deeply. There is another a story behind this.

Zemlinsky was ugly, quite ugly, Schreker not that much but both were friends and Zemlinky angry about the Alma Mahler affair, asked Schreker to compose an "ode to ugliness", or kind of. The answer was this opera for Schreker and the Dwarf (Wilde) for Zemlinsky, later Schreker composed a ballet fro the same Oscar Wilde play. They were good friends, both from Vienna, both Jew...

A very similar story was used by Alberta Ginastera, the Argentinian composer based on the Mujica Lainez book, Bomarzo.

Enjoy it!

You are absolutely forgiven...I am not better than you....LOL

Martin


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## myaskovsky2002 (Oct 3, 2010)

*Die Gezeichneten*

and....Almaviva...Did you buy it, did you watch it, did you like it????
I hope I had suggest you something you like.

Martin, curious and friendly


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

myaskovsky2002 said:


> and....Almaviva...Did you buy it, did you watch it, did you like it????
> I hope I had suggest you something you like.
> 
> Martin, curious and friendly


Yes, I bought it, and it has arrived already. I haven't watched it yet, though. I'll probably watch it this coming weekend, and I'll let you know what I think.


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## myaskovsky2002 (Oct 3, 2010)

*Die Gezeichneten*

Yes, I bought it, and it has arrived already. I haven't watched it yet, though. I'll probably watch it this coming weekend, and I'll let you know what I think. 

Wunderwar (I think I know 10 words in German)

Martin


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## myaskovsky2002 (Oct 3, 2010)

*no comments....*

No comments about Schreker's opera... I have also spoken about the R. Staruss' opera I prefer: Die frau ohne Schatten and you said you liked it very much. I just LOVE this opera deeply and saw it twice in different theatres. I love to see operas in the theatre.
Please tell us your opinion about the Gezeichneten (the stigmatized or the doomed) It is an awful-awesome opera....the ode of hideous...

Martin


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

myaskovsky2002 said:


> No comments about Schreker's opera... I have also spoken about the R. Staruss' opera I prefer: Die frau ohne Schatten and you said you liked it very much. I just LOVE this opera deeply and saw it twice in different theatres. I love to see operas in the theatre.
> Please tell us your opinion about the Gezeichneten (the stigmatized or the doomed) It is an awful-awesome opera....the ode of hideous...
> 
> Martin


I wasn't able to see it this past weekend. I've been busier than usual. I'll try again this coming weekend.


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## myaskovsky2002 (Oct 3, 2010)

*Ok*

I am sorry...But I love this opera so much that I was willing to share my enthousiasm with somebody.

Cordially,

Martin


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## myaskovsky2002 (Oct 3, 2010)

Almaviva said:


> You do realize that my breast-fixation is tongue-in-cheek, don't you?


I have a solution...Buy a Dolly Parton DVD....not Opera? who cares! It answers critera no. 3 (I discovered this as your first criteria...evil guy...LOL

Martin, smiling


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