I'd like to develop a greater appreciation for opera and choral music. Presently I have only two selections in my library - a vinyl collection of Beethoven's choral works (a segment of his Bicentennial Collection) and selections from my copies of the 2-volume 111-disc Deutsche Grammophon Collector's Edition.
For further listening, a friend has suggested highlights and excerpted aria/scenes from:
- La Boheme - Puccini
- Tosca - Puccini
- La Traviata - Verdi
- Rigoletto - Verdi
- Carmen - Bizet
- The Mariage of Figaro - Mozart
- Don Giovanni - Mozart
- The Magic Flute - Mozart
And as for individual singers (other than the obvious ones like Pavarotti, Domingo, Callas, etc.) he recommends:
- Rene Fleming
- Angela Gheorghiu
- Anna Netrebko
- Denyce Graves
- Susan Graham
- Anne Sofie von Otter
- Rolando Villazon
- Jose Cura
- SImon Keenlyside
- Bryn Terfel
- Jose van Dam
- Nathan Gunn
I'd love additional input regarding other suggested listening, key labels to watch for, conductors, choirs, etc.
[EDIT: UPDATE] I populated a custom RYM list of the highest-rated opera recordings of all time. I've compiled lossless archives of each recording and prepared a playlist of the operas for my 9-5s at the office. Looking forward to taking them in!
Wilhelm Furtwängler / Ludwig Suthaus / Kirsten Flagstad
Tristan und Isolde (1953)
Orchestra and of La Scala Opera House, Milan / Chorus of La Scala Opera House, Milan / Victor De Sabata
Teatro alla Scala: Tosca (1953)
Vienna Philharmonic / Georg Solti / George London / Kirsten Flagstad / Set Svanholm / Gustav Neidlinger
Das Rheingold (1959)
Philharmonia Orchestra / Philharmonia Chorus / Carlo Maria Giulini / Eberhard Wächter / Joan Sutherland / Luigi Alva / Gottlob Frick / Elisabeth Schwarzkopf / Giuseppe Taddei / Piero Cappuccilli / Graziella Sciutti
Don Giovanni (1961)
Philip Glass
Einstein on the Beach (1979)
Wiener Philharmoniker / Georg Solti
Salome (1962)
The Stuttgart State Opera Orchestra & Chorus / Dennis Russel Davies
Akhnaten (1987)
Wiener Philharmoniker / Wilhelm Furtwängler / Martha Mödl / Ludwig Suthaus / Leonie Rysanek / Ferdinand Frantz / Gottlob Frick / Margarete Klose
Die Walküre (1954)