# Rare operas you'd travel far to see.



## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

Like many here I suspect, after a couple of decades of opera-going I mostly see operas I've seen several times in opera houses I've been to several times. But there are always places and operas that I'm still hoping to visit and see. (I'm trying not to use the word 'list'!)

Here's mine to kick off the thread.

The opera I most want to see is
*Nerone, by Arrigo Boito*

I'm a little obsessed with it and have listened to it more than I have many popular operas. It clearly has flaws, like a missing 5th act and a little leaden at times but there's lots of full-blooded singing and the style is perhaps the nearest that Italian opera came to Wagner. I even think it was being performed on the other side of the world I might find a reason to make the trip.

(as ever, apologies if this thread has been done before.)


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

There are quite a few, indeed.... 

Right now, I would like a lot to watch a performance of Edison Denisov's _L'écume des jours_.


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

I'd go anywhere to see _Norma_ with outstanding cast. It's not opera that is rare by means of recognition, but certainly rare when it comes to frequency of staging - especially when we count only productions that actually present the cast that can truely meet the demands of their parts, the title part particularly. So if anything like "_Norma_ of our time" pop us, with cast of all top contemporary singers, I'll be there, or will do my best to. (I've checked once through _Norma_ performances at the time all over the world and most of them I wouldn't care to attend had they took place under my very nose.)

Then, if Piotr Beczała is ever to succeed with his "hey, let's do some Moniuszko at <place one of top opera houses of the world>" little action and will happen to perform one of his operas with rest of cast being also international stars of the same status, I'd certainly like to travel to see this happen too.


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

A fully staged, uncut, French performance of William Tell.
With a singer that can really sing Arnold.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Great idea for a thread!



Aramis said:


> Then, if Piotr Beczała is ever to succeed with his "hey, let's do some Moniuszko at <place one of top opera houses of the world>" little action and will happen to perform one of his operas with rest of cast being also international stars of the same status, I'd certainly like to travel to see this happen too.


Thanks to Aramis' encouragement & enthusiasm, I love The Haunted Manor (Straszny dwór) by Moniuszko & want to see it.

It's going to be on in Warsaw next year & I would have gone but I've already made other plans.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Itullian said:


> A fully staged, uncut, French performance of William Tell.
> With a singer that can really sing Arnold.


I didn't know you liked William Tell!


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

sospiro said:


> I didn't know you liked William Tell!


......................


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## Fortinbras Armstrong (Dec 29, 2013)

I have been hearing bits and pieces of Carl Maria von Weber's _Der Freischütz_ all my life, and I would really like to see a performance of the entire opera.


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

sospiro said:


> It's going to be on in Warsaw next year & I would have gone but I've already made other plans.


Too bad, we could chat - there are chances I'll be attending it. Anyway, they put it on stage there rather often so you will probably yet have a chance for seeing it in couple of forthcoming years.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

Rossini's _Otello_. In fact, I'm hoping the Met will add it to its repertoire someday.

Oh, and I'd travel pretty far to see _I Puritani_, not that it's all that rare, but -- as Aramis said above about _Norma_ -- its something of a rarity in that the vocal demands are hard to meet, and then there are the required period costumes, etc. that can be expensive for many opera companies.

Edited to add: And I've always wanted to see Rossini's _La Donna del Lago_. But Covent Garden just wasn't an option for me last season.  But maybe the Met will add that one, too.


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## Radames (Feb 27, 2013)

I was quite lucky to be only a few hours from Bard College where they did Taneyev's Oresteia last summer. They do lots of rare stuff there in the summer, but that was my favorite so far. I would love to see Tchaikovsky's Cherevichki. I'd also like to see his Enchantress. The Bolshoi did it last year. It's not considered to be that good of an opera, but I have a recording and I like the music.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

It's not really rare, or an opera, but I'd love to see a staged version of Handel's Solomon (if they can do Theodora, Belshazzar and Athalia, why not Solomon?)


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

I doubt that I would travel far for any opera but I would like to see Gounod's Sapho and Leoncavallo's Zaza - just to satisfy my curiosity.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

I'd love to see Juha ( composed by Aarre Marikanto) and I Shardana (Ennio Porrino)


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## starlightexp (Sep 3, 2013)

I got my über rare one out of the way last year. I was able to check off Verdi's Joan of Arc when it was done in Chicago. While not a great opera by any stretch of the imagination it was great to see it on stage.


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## Stargazer (Nov 9, 2011)

I don't know if they're so rare or not, but I would definitely travel a ways to see Handel's Rinaldo or Monteverdi's Orfeo.


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

For me, so much depends upon who is singing. I'd travel a considerable difference to hear Ferdinando Paër's _Leonora_ if Anja Harteros or Camilla Nylund and Jonas Kaufmann were singing the two leads.


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## waldvogel (Jul 10, 2011)

I've only heard it on the radio, but I'd make a special trip to a not-so-special city to see Chausson's _le roi Arthus_.


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

Stargazer said:


> I don't know if they're so rare or not, but I would definitely travel a ways to see Handel's Rinaldo or Monteverdi's Orfeo.


come to the UK in the Summer, Glyndebourne is re-running its recent production of Rinaldo. L'Orfeo had a short run at The Barbican at the end of last September.


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## Bardamu (Dec 12, 2011)

Kind of hard question.
I love Mascagni so I'd say Isabeau, Il Piccolo Marat and Parisina (the world lack a good recording of Parisina!).
I'd like to attend to stage performances of Porrino's Gli Orazi, Nini's La Marescialla d'Ancrè and Panizza's Bisanzio too.



Alexander said:


> The opera I most want to see is
> *Nerone, by Arrigo Boito*
> 
> I'm a little obsessed with it and have listened to it more than I have many popular operas. It clearly has flaws, like a missing 5th act and a little leaden at times but there's lots of full-blooded singing and the style is perhaps the nearest that Italian opera came to Wagner. I even think it was being performed on the other side of the world I might find a reason to make the trip.


You, sir, have good tastes :-D
I'm too fond of Nerone.



norman bates said:


> I'd love to see Juha ( composed by Aarre Marikanto) and I Shardana (Ennio Porrino)


If things goes as planned a DVD with I Shardana should be available next February.


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

Roussel's fascinating exotic opera/ballet Padmavati has yet to be performed in the US even in concert form .
Leon Botstein, where are you ? The closest we've gotten so far here was a recent performace of 
excerpts by Christoph Eschenbach with the Washington National symphony,coupled with the world premiere of
work by a composer from India mixing Indian & western instruments .
I wish they had done the whole opera, but I guess they wanted to do a concert with thematic programming ,
which is not a bad idea .
Just the other day I heard the recording of the legendary 1969 London concert performance conducted byRoussel's pupil and 
champion Jean Martinon on youtube . The cast includes the late Rita Gorr in the title role , but the sound is just so-so .
It's well worth hearing anyway .
If you can still find the superb EMI recording, which is blessed with the kind of spectacular atmospheric
sonics the opera needs , grab it ! It's conducted by Michel Plassn, with Marilyn Horne, Nicolai Gedda and
Jose Van Dam . The lastr live staging anywhere was in Paris in 2008 , and the production went to the Spoleto
festival in Italy shortly after . You can see excerpts from it on youtube, but unfortunately the whole thing 
has yet to show up on DVD .


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## waldvogel (Jul 10, 2011)

I've only heard bits and pieces, and they sounded amazing. I won't get my hopes up, but maybe somebody somewhere might eventually put on Dukas' _Ariane et Barbe-bleu_.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

waldvogel said:


> I've only heard bits and pieces, and they sounded amazing. I won't get my hopes up, but maybe somebody somewhere might eventually put on Dukas' _Ariane et Barbe-bleu_.


Well, the Liceu did quite recently, so there is hope:


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

mamascarlatti said:


> Well, the Liceu did quite recently, so there is hope:


Another morbid looking modern opera.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Itullian said:


> Another morbid looking modern opera.


Well, you know the story of Bluebeard is not exactly a barrel of laughs and fluffy ducklings frolicking in flowered meadows.:lol:

I quite like this version because Ariane turns to be the winner.


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## Stargazer (Nov 9, 2011)

deggial said:


> come to the UK in the Summer, Glyndebourne is re-running its recent production of Rinaldo. L'Orfeo had a short run at The Barbican at the end of last September.


You Europeans, always hogging the good stuff!


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## Tehzim (May 19, 2013)

Bayreuth of course (in about 10 years). The Ring, definitely, but I wouldn't turn down a Tristan or a Parsifal.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

It does not even have to be rare, just rarely performed. In the States, with their relative rate of infrequency of showing up on a program at all(at least when I was younger) I went out of my way to attend Stravinsky's _Le Rossignol_ (along with a staged presentation of his _Oedipus Rex_); Monteverdi's _L'incoronazione di Poppea_; Poulenc's _Dialogues des carmélites._

To date myself, Marilyn Horne sang the nurse in _Poppea_, Leontyne Price, in her stage opera debut, had sung the role of Madame Lidoine in the American premiere. The performance I heard was, symmetrically, in the same house in which it premiered in the states, with Ms. Price then in the role of the Mother superior.

Each was worth every scrabbled bit of money and other effort to get the seat and attend. Performances like those, no matter what you pay, even years later still seem a privilege to have been able to be there at all.

ADD: Later, a concert performance of Bartok's luscious _Bluebeard's Castle_ still lingers in memory.

I'd go very much out of my way for a fine production of Ravel's _L'enfant et les sortileges_, and likewise Debussy's _Pelléas et Mélisande,_ Stravinsky's _A Rake's Progress._


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Fortunately, there are now quite a few performances of Dialogues each year, also in the United States. In 2013, the opera was offered in Baltimore, Honolulu and New York, and in 2014 it's scheduled at Philadelphia and Saint Louis. It's already an established piece in the repertory.


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## Pip (Aug 16, 2013)

Still very difficult to find, unless one lives in german speaking europe, is Pfitzner's Palestrina.

It was premiered in 1917 in Munich and conducted by Bruno Walter.
It was produced by CG in London in 1997 shortly before the renovations and revived once in 2001.
I don't know if it has ever been produced in the USA. 
Does anyone know?


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## Rackon (Apr 9, 2013)

I would love to see the full 5 act Don Carlos in its original French at a major house. Rumour says such a production may be coming to the MET with Kaufmann - which would be fabulous, not only from a casting standpoint, but because it would be an HD, thus probably an eventual dvd/bluray release. And we really need Jonas' Don Carlo(s) preserved in commercial, top quality video. He's the best in the world in the role right now, and the pirate from Zurich is not enough.

I would drive to see The Ghosts of Versailles. St. Louis has shown the way. I love Orfeo and Poppea and never tire of Monteverdi but I admit I've seen several productions of each (all here in the Midwest), so I suppose they are not as rare as they used to be.

I wish IU would do Der Freischutz. That one's on my bucket list and very infrequently performed in the Anglophone world.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Performances of Peter Grimes are rare enough. Once I was lucky enough to catch 2 performances of it at the Met one season when I was living in NYC. I would definitely travel for this one!


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## Rackon (Apr 9, 2013)

hpowders said:


> Performances of Peter Grimes are rare enough. Once I was lucky enough to catch 2 performances of it at the Met one season when I was living in NYC. I would definitely travel for this one!


Major US houses -even conservatories - do Grimes now and then - so there is hope. The lead is just not easy to cast. But good luck with Turn of the Screw or Death In Venice.

I was lucky to hear Vickers as Peter Grimes at LOC early in my opera going career - an unforgettable experience.


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

The Royal opera Palestrina production travelled to NYC at the Met opera house that Summer for the annual arts festival , which features not only classical
music but drama,dance and non-classical music . Unfortunately ,I did not get to see it even though I live in the greater New York area.
The New York city opera , which has unfortunately gone under recently, did Ariane & Barbe Bleue several years ago.
The demise of the City opera is not only a tragedy but a national disgrace .
I wish the Met would do both of these operas, but unfortunately a production of Palestrina there would be
pretty unlikely . There was a production of the Dukas masterpiece there, but it was about a century ago !


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## Tehzim (May 19, 2013)

I misread the title of the thread and thought it meant "a rare opportunity" rather than 'a rare opera." I might have to go with Salome or a full Ring Cycle over the 4 days instead of weeks or months apart.


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## waldvogel (Jul 10, 2011)

Rackon said:


> Major US houses -even conservatories - do Grimes now and then - so there is hope. The lead is just not easy to cast. But good luck with Turn of the Screw or Death In Venice.
> 
> I was lucky to hear Vickers as Peter Grimes at LOC early in my opera going career - an unforgettable experience.


Come to Toronto - maybe an eight-hour drive for you. In the past five years we've seen Death in Venice, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and a superb Peter Grimes with Ben Heppner this past fall.


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## Rackon (Apr 9, 2013)

waldvogel said:


> Come to Toronto - maybe an eight-hour drive for you. In the past five years we've seen Death in Venice, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and a superb Peter Grimes with Ben Heppner this past fall.


Lucky you! Alas, it's more than an 8 hour drive from Indy to your fair city. But I hope to see an opera there someday. Fortunately for us Midwesterners, Heppner has been a regular at LOC.


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## starlightexp (Sep 3, 2013)

A full on big house production of Rossini's Ermione would be a destination trip for me


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## alan davis (Oct 16, 2013)

Korngolds "Die Tote Stadt".


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

Rackon said:


> I would love to see the full 5 act Don Carlos in its original French at a major house. Rumour says such a production may be coming to the MET with Kaufmann - which would be fabulous, not only from a casting standpoint, but because it would be an HD, thus probably an eventual dvd/bluray release. And we really need Jonas' Don Carlo(s) preserved in commercial, top quality video. He's the best in the world in the role right now, and the pirate from Zurich is not enough.


You're about to get your wish, although it's the five-act Italian version rather than the French. The _Don Carlo_ from last summer's Salzburg Festival with Jonas K. and Anja Harteros will be released in DVD format this year. There is a mid-February release date for Europe; those of us on this side of the pond may have to wait until Jonas is back on these shores for Werther at the Met. (Gives the recording company an opportunity to plan promotional events coinciding with the release.)


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## Rackon (Apr 9, 2013)

MAuer said:


> You're about to get your wish, although it's the five-act Italian version rather than the French. The _Don Carlo_ from last summer's Salzburg Festival with Jonas K. and Anja Harteros will be released in DVD format this year. There is a mid-February release date for Europe; those of us on this side of the pond may have to wait until Jonas is back on these shores for Werther at theMet. (Gives the recording company an opportunity to plan promotional events coinciding with the release.)


Yes, I know- isn't it fab? But phooey on Sony for releasing Parsifal, Winterreise, Don Carlo and Ariadne auf Naxos February 17 in UK BUT NOT IN NORTH AMERICA. Hey Sony! The man is in New York NOW, sings Werther at the Met in less than a month and- oh yeah - has a recital very soon at Carnaghi Hall. Ya MIGHT want to have some product out. (I want my Hoodiereise.)

I do love the Salzberg Don Carlo, unbelievable singing in the last act.

I hear Fanciulla is also coming out on DVD/Blu-ray, which would be great too.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Rackon said:


> Yes, I know- isn't it fab? But phooey on Sony for releasing Parsifal, Winterreise, Don Carlo and Ariadne auf Naxos February 17 in UK BUT NOT IN NORTH AMERICA. Hey Sony! The man is in New York NOW, sings Werther at the Met in less than a month and- oh yeah - has a recital very soon at Carnaghi Hall. Ya MIGHT want to have some product out. (I want my Hoodiereise.)
> 
> I do love the Salzberg Don Carlo, unbelievable singing in the last act.
> 
> I hear Fanciulla is also coming out on DVD/Blu-ray, which would be great too.


Why not just buy it from Amazon UK, or Presto classical?


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## Rackon (Apr 9, 2013)

mamascarlatti said:


> Why not just buy it from Amazon UK, or Presto classical?


I have already ordered them, of course. (I adore Katherine at Presto, very helpful and another JK fan.) But many people will not order videos from UK, especially since most Americans do not have DVD players that are region free or capable of converting PAL>NTSC (at least not out of the box), and now that JK is on Sony, the Blu-rays will be Region B locked as well.

Besides, as someone who has spent most of her life in marketing and sales, it seems absurd to have your star tenor in town with four new releases and NO NEW PRODUCT available. I'm having trouble picturing the most beloved tenor in the world singing in house but no new DVDs in the Met shop. It's nuts. You don't push product by making it difficult for people to buy. None of the new releases is available to pre-order yet on Amazon USA. (I expect that to change soon, they can't be that asleep at Sony Classical US, surely these will be released by March at latest.)

Meanwhile I am happy to report that the covers for Don Carlo and Ariadne auf Naxos are very nice and include the leading ladies.

BTW, although Werther rehearsals started this week, JK is still in Deutschland, having recorded an operetta concert TONIGHT in Berlin for release on CD/DVD. Lots of Lehar. The tweets were hilarious. He danced. He tried to fix dodgy equipment between takes. The audience swooned.


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

Rackon said:


> BTW, although Werther rehearsals started this week, JK is still in Deutschland, having recorded an operetta concert TONIGHT in Berlin for release on CD/DVD. Lots of Lehar. The tweets were hilarious. He danced. He tried to fix dodgy equipment between takes. The audience swooned.


Another Jonas recording on the way!!  Can't wait!


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## Lucrezia (Nov 21, 2013)

I'd love to listen to_ *Le Cid*_ by _Massenet_. It's a pity they hardly do it though the _Ô Souverain, ô Juge, ô Pere_ alone is worth it!


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## Lucrezia (Nov 21, 2013)

Rackon said:


> BTW, although Werther rehearsals started this week, JK is still in Deutschland, having recorded an operetta concert TONIGHT in Berlin for release on CD/DVD. Lots of Lehar. The tweets were hilarious. He danced. He tried to fix dodgy equipment between takes. The audience swooned.


Fabulous news! Thanks!!


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

The Washington National opera did Le Cid some years ago, and I saw it on PBS .
There is a Sony Classical live recording from Carnegie hall with Eve Queler
and the Opera Orchestra of New York , which I remember all the way back
from the LP era . I don't knwo if it's still available , but you could check
amazon.com or arkivmusic.com .


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## Lucrezia (Nov 21, 2013)

superhorn said:


> The Washington National opera did Le Cid some years ago, and I saw it on PBS .
> There is a Sony Classical live recording from Carnegie hall with Eve Queler
> and the Opera Orchestra of New York , which I remember all the way back
> from the LP era . I don't knwo if it's still available , but you could check
> amazon.com or arkivmusic.com .


I have the Carnegie recording, it's my only consolation
I only saw the Ô Souverain, ô Juge, ô Pere from the Washington, it was marvellous and I would dream to see the whole set but unfortunately, haven't been able to find it anywhere


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Lucrezia said:


> I'd love to listen to_ *Le Cid*_ by _Massenet_. It's a pity they hardly do it though the _Ô Souverain, ô Juge, ô Pere_ alone is worth it!


There is a complete version on YouTube. I know you are not taken by Alagna but he does quite a good job here.


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## clara s (Jan 6, 2014)

Aida

in Cairo, where it originally opened in 1871


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## Rhombic (Oct 28, 2013)

_L'Orfeo_, composed by Claudio Monteverdi. It is really worth the effort. I am being consistently stunned by this early opera.


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