A 20th Century Opera Collection - Barber - Vanessa - Mitropoulos

Opera in four Acts (1958 original version)
Libretto: Gian Carlo Menotti, after Dinesen's Seven Gothic Tales


Vanessa: Eleanor Steber
Erika: Rosalind Elias
The Old Baroness: Regina Resnik
Anatol: Nicolai Gedda
The Old Doctor: Giorgio Tozzi

Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus
Dimitri Mitropoulos

Amazon Review:

This may be one of the greatest American operas of all time. It is shocking that a work of this quality isn't more widely performed. It is a vocal showcase.
Vanessa suffers perhaps from a bit overwrought libretto. Menotti is guilty of his usual excesses. But Barber more than makes up for this in the sweep of his melodies. Musically, the piece is tonal, but harmonically adventureous. Interestingly, some of the piece calls to mind composers such as Bernard Herrmann or Miklas Rosza…high praise indeed for dramatic music in my mind. The final quintet at the end of the fourth act is rapturous. I find myself listening to it again and again.

The performance is as close to perfect as a composer could wish for. Steber is brilliant as Vanessa and Rosalind Elias is a moving Ericka. Mitropoulos conducts with sweep and power.

I wish opera companies would revive this work. It really deserves it.

Christopher Forbes




Tracklist:

Disc: 1
1. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act I: Potage crème aux perles
2. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act I: No, I cannot understand
3. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act I: Must the winter come so soon?
4. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act I: Listen!…They are here…
5. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act I: Do not utter a word, Anatol
6. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act I: Yes, I believe I shall love you
7. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act I: Who are you?
8. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act II: And then? - He Made me drink
9. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act II: No, you are not as good a skater
10. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act II: 'Under the willow tree…'
11. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act II: Erika, I am so happy
12. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act II: Our arms entwined
13. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act II: Did you hear her?
14. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act II: Outside this house the world has changed
15. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act II: Orchestral Interlude - Hymn

Disc: 2
1. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act III: The Count and Countess d'Albany
2. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act III: I should never have been a doctor
3. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act III: Here you are!
4. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act III: At last I found you
5. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act III: Nothing to worry about
6. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act IV, Scene 1: Why did no one warn me?
7. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act IV, Scene 1: Why must the greatest sorrows
8. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act IV, Scene 1: There, look!
9. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act IV, Scene 1: Anatol, tell me the truth!
10. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act IV, Scene 1: Take me away
11. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act IV, Scene 1: Grandmother! - Yes, Erika
12. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act IV, Scene 1: Intermezzo
13. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act IV, Scene 2: By the time we arrive
14. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act IV, Scene 2: And you, my friend
15. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act IV, Scene 2: To leave, to break (Quintet)
16. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: Act IV, Scene 2: Goodbye, Erika

Pass: leverkuhn

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