Schola Cantorum

[Surpinto]

Fair enough! As we know so well, different music touches people differently; or not at all. There are even some who shockingly don't care for Libera ...as appalling as this state of affairs might be, and as pitiable as these individuals are

Dear Lord, those poor souls. I guess everyone has their burden to carry.

Indeed!

I was a floating Libera supporter until I saw them in concert for the first time in Guildford 2015. Changed my perspective completely.

You understand perfectly!

I have a ticket for CVMS on the 23rd March. Although before that I have a ticket for the choirs of New College, Christ Church and Magdalen together in a three choirs concert in the Sheldonian theatre in Oxford, which I'm trying not to get too excited about, but which I hope/expect will be amazing.

WOW! That promises to be quite the show!

[seraphita]

Trafalgar Square with familiar faces. Good luck guys.

[Celt]

Oh, very cool. I wish I had been in Trafalgar Square!

Two more shows on Sunday and that's it for La Boheme at the ENO. Tuesday was also the last night of Tosca at the ROH. So I very much hope CVMS are involved in another Opera soon as I am enjoying exploring new Operas with them.

I am happy to say I have seen DW in all three of his Operas so far.

[Luckdragon]

Trafalgar Square with familiar faces. Good luck guys.

Filthy urchins...

[Celt]

The urchins are terrorising the streets of Paris for one final time, and then it's back to being cheeky London rascals as usual...

[Luckdragon]

Here's your chance, Celt:

https://www.rhinegoldjobs.co.uk/job/ass ... e253c6b75c

2022-03-02_12-41-11.jpg (382.84 KiB) Viewed 2470 times

2022-03-02_12-41-11.jpg (382.84 KiB) Viewed 2470 times

[Celt]

That would be amazing, hearing the CVMS boys every week!!

Only 18 mins away by tube and there's a Wetherspoons on the walk to Shepherd's Bush station for my journeys home.

Shame I don't have any of the required experience or skills.

[seraphita]

Frank Sinatra

[Celt]

I'll stick to the Schola Cantorum concerts. I'm sure this was a lovely concert, but it's their voices I want to hear, so I stayed home and watched the rugby!

Ten days until the Schola's St John Passion concert.

[filiarheni]

Even though I like opera music in general I have never cared for Puccini - too melodramatic or musically uninteresting aside from a few famous arias. Not that I question his genius at composition, it's just not music that suits me.

Interesting you should say that. I really liked La Boheme, it was amusing, engaging, heartfelt and ultimately enjoyable. I definitely felt at the end of the show that I would happily see it again.

Tosca... not so much. Ok, there were bits that were good, but in general I really found it a bit underwhelming, and yes, you have nailed it, musically uninteresting.

I think the narrative compensated in La Boheme.

But compared to the Magic Flute, which has great music and a great narrative and great arias...

I'd see Magic Flute anytime I could get a cheap ticket, but I'd probably leave Tosca.

Puccini may be one of the most underestimated composers, while luckily this has been changing over the last years. I find that there are specific arias overly often performed, having become more famous than deserved in my opinion. So yes, there can be too much sentimental feeling, but this is not what makes out "the" Puccini. It's not just or always "sweet", so I must speak out in his favour.
I have dealt a lot with him; I like his operas (some more, some less naturally, which is valid for every composer) and I adore "Manon Lescaut", which is sadly not often performed. Certainly, Puccini's music is very multi-layered which may not be to everyone's liking. But his profound, subtle tone language, the unique treatment of the voices and the orchestra, which is all psychologically well planned out, all of this made him a masterful composer, whose operas are a grateful field to explore. While I understand what you're saying and of course agree with both of you that like or dislike is a matter of personal taste as always.

As for "Tosca", I saw it only once and it grew on me later. So on the next opportunity, I'll attend it to verify.

For me, almost all operas contain music I like more and less. There's hardly one where I'd say that I'm a fan of every single note out of it, no matter the composer. But this would be a luxury within several hours of music, no?

[Celt]

Puccini may be one of the most underestimated composers, while luckily this has been changing over the last years. I find that there are specific arias overly often performed, having become more famous than deserved in my opinion. So yes, there can be too much sentimental feeling, but this is not what makes out "the" Puccini. It's not just or always "sweet", so I must speak out in his favour.
I have dealt a lot with him; I like his operas (some more, some less naturally, which is valid for every composer) and I adore "Manon Lescaut", which is sadly not often performed. Certainly, Puccini's music is very multi-layered which may not be to everyone's liking. But his profound, subtle tone language, the unique treatment of the voices and the orchestra, which is all psychologically well planned out, all of this made him a masterful composer, whose operas are a grateful field to explore. While I understand what you're saying and of course agree with both of you that like or dislike is a matter of personal taste as always.

As for "Tosca", I saw it only once and it grew on me later. So on the next opportunity, I'll attend it to verify.

For me, almost all operas contain music I like more and less. There's hardly one where I'd say that I'm a fan of every single note out of it, no matter the composer. But this would be a luxury within several hours of music, no?

I think the problem with Tosca for me was there wasn't anything that really caught my attention. There was no part of the performance that really excited me.

As I said, I would happily see La Boheme again, so the problem is not Puccini in totality, but Tosca was just disappointingly insipid for me. Especially for an Opera which is so well known. I had somehow expected more.

But then again I am no expert, my list of live operas is very short... Pelleas et Mellisande, Billy Budd, Turn of the Screw, Satyagraha, Cunning Little Vixen, Magic Flute, Tosca, and La Boheme. Although, I've seen recordings of some others including Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Der Fliegende Holländer and one or two others that don't come to mind right now.

On a related note, I am seeing Carmina Burana in April, which is a piece that usually leaves me soaring high...

[filiarheni]

I think the problem with Tosca for me was there wasn't anything that really caught my attention. There was no part of the performance that really excited me.

As I said, I would happily see La Boheme again, so the problem is not Puccini in totality, but Tosca was just disappointingly insipid for me. Especially for an Opera which is so well known. I had somehow expected more.

Often, a part of the enjoyment is the staging, which sometimes can be really horrendous. I think that, although the music is the decisive factor, opera should always be something for the eyes as well. While the stories often are ... um ... neglectable.

[Surpinto]

For my taste personally, the centrality of the music cannot be overstated. Yes indeed Puccini composed music that fit the libretto and set the melodramatic tone of the story with his musical genius, but that doesn't mean it matches my tastes

But compare Puccini with this beautiful and dramatic movement in Verdi's opera. Verdi wins by miles and miles to my musical taste. The dramatic effect of the story combined with this beautiful music wins me over. But with Puccini I get none of this! Again, that is to my ear and my ear alone.

[filiarheni]

Yes.

[j8000]

London's other Schola Cantorum has a concert in London next week for anyone who might be able to attend (I wish I could). In my opinion they're the best at what they do now that Westminster Cathedral choir has been dismembered by the powers that be.

Details here:


https://www.londonoratoryschola.com/diary/tenebrae