# What Monteverdi?



## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

What Monteverdi should I listen to, in an attempt to ease my way in to opera? Is this a feasible idea?


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

There are only three extant complete Monteverdi operas anyway, if you are already a fan of Monteverdi's other music then I would suggest l'incoronazione di Poppea, that's his best opera.

N.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

Orfeo's my favorite. Lots of good recordings: Emmanuelle Haim's is a great introduction. As a way of getting into later opera, though, I'd recommend looking at all the wonderfully sleazy videos featuring Pur ti miro on Youtube.


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

millionrainbows said:


> What Monteverdi should I listen to, in an attempt to ease my way in to opera? Is this a feasible idea?


I'm not sure I understand the question. If you're trying to get into opera in general, I think that Monteverdi is a bad place to start. I've been an opera fan for five decades, and still have trouble appreciating Monteverdi's operas.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

wkasimer said:


> I'm not sure I understand the question. If you're trying to get into opera in general, I think that Monteverdi is a bad place to start. I've been an opera fan for five decades, and still have trouble appreciating Monteverdi's operas.


I suppose it depends on which vantage point you are coming from. It took me a while to come round to Monteverdi, but I really like his operas now. It wasn't that surprising that it took me a while though, as I didn't have much time for Baroque music in general when I first got into opera. On the other hand, if you are someone who enjoys Baroque, particularly that of the early seventeenth century in Italy, then Monteverdi might be a good place to start.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Tsaraslondon said:


> I suppose it depends on which vantage point you are coming from. It took me a while to come round to Monteverdi, but I really like his operas now. It wasn't that surprising that it took me a while though, as I didn't have much time for Baroque music in general when I first got into opera. On the other hand, if you are someone who enjoys Baroque, particularly that of the early seventeenth century in Italy, then Monteverdi might be a good place to start.


I agree, it depends on the context and what Millionrainbow's tastes are when it comes to classical music in general.

N.


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## Duncan (Feb 8, 2019)

*The Beauty of Monteverdi

The Monteverdi Choir & English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner*

*Link to complete album - *

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lxX8C90H1_EXcsqlhguwaCIK-iEWsBPVw

*Works on This Recording*

https://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=2250615#details


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## Flamme (Dec 30, 2012)

Dat auld dawg...


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## Flamme (Dec 30, 2012)

This Monteverdi is very intricate and subtle, an eargasm https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000hnl5


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Very good MR, very good!:devil:


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

In response to post #7 - my word, you’d need to be deadly keen on Monte to work your way through that little lot! I have Orfeo and the Vespers and a few madrigals and that will do it for me!


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## Duncan (Feb 8, 2019)

Barbebleu said:


> In response to post #7 - my word, you'd need to be deadly keen on Monte to work your way through that little lot! I have Orfeo and the Vespers and a few madrigals and that will do it for me!


It's 2 hours and 19 minutes long (2 CDs) - It doesn't need to be listened to from start to finish -

Listening is optional, not mandatory - He asked, I answered - Will I be sorry that I did? - Probably...


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Duncan said:


> It's 2 hours and 19 minutes long (2 CDs) - It doesn't need to be listened to from start to finish -
> 
> Listening is optional, not mandatory - He asked, I answered - Will I be sorry that I did? - Probably...


If you didn't do a copy and paste job, then you should be commended for bothering to type it all out! 
:tiphat:


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Duncan said:


> It's 2 hours and 19 minutes long (2 CDs) - It doesn't need to be listened to from start to finish -
> 
> Listening is optional, not mandatory - He asked, I answered...


I wasn't having a pop. I was ostensibly commenting in what I, mistakenly it would seem, thought, a lighthearted fashion. Ah well, to quote Mountjoy - "thou never shalt hear herald any more"


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## Duncan (Feb 8, 2019)

Barbebleu said:


> I wasn't having a pop. I was ostensibly commenting in what I, mistakenly it would seem, a lighthearted fashion. Ah well, to quote Mountjoy - "thou never shalt hear herald any more"


I didn't take it that way (as "having a pop') - I have no quarrel with your post - The question "Will I be sorry that I did?" coupled with the answer "Probably..." was directed towards myself as these formatted "Link to complete album" posts with complete track listings should and most likely will be discontinued as the effort required to properly execute the concept inevitably invokes the Law of Diminishing Returns.


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## StDior (May 28, 2015)

All 3 of Monteverdi's operas are great and quite different. Personally I like and recommend the Poppea and Ulysses, but others prefer the Orfeo.
I remember very long ago, Verdi's Il Trovatore and Monteverdi's Poppea were the first 2 operas what I recorded with VHS Video Recorder from TV. My opinion was that time that the Il Trovatore is a quite fine opera and the Poppea is ugly. Currently my opinion about the Il Trovatore is the same but I gradually get to appreciate the Poppea and currently I keep it much higher than the Il Trovatore.
What I recognized that I could see (on TV or Youtube) or listen to a lot of not perfect Poppea performances. It is not surprise for me that people turned away after listening of these versions. Unfortunately I could not tell which of the best version. It was a nice version on the YouTube earlier but currently I could not find it. Maybe somebody could help us which version is generally the most accepted? 
I attach here a very short aria, which is one of my favorite parts from the Poppea: Or che Seneca è morto


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