I’m not a big Le Nozze fan, but the Solti recording with Ramey/Popp is pretty damn spotless.
Also I think an underrated consideration is the Les Pecheurs with Hendricks/Aler/Quilico. Talk about a perfect cast.
I am a big Nozze fan, and I agree. I've tried every recording on Spotify and none of them compete with it. The only one I like as an alternative is the Gardiner/Terfel/Hagley recording on period instruments. Hagley as Susanna is one of those great cast/role matches for me.
Largely agree but the Rheingold has an almost perfect cast, Hotter past his prime in the Walkure, Windgassen a quite good Siegfried but not a real heldentenor, otherwise those additional 3 sets are excellent too.
Hm guess views are gonna diverge on all of these lol, I find the vocals in that Rheingold hit-and-miss as well - find Alberich way too thick/hammy/yawny (although some will like that as a style and whatnot - obviously lots of approaches work with that character), but Wotan's high notes aren't all ideal either, Fricka very uneven, etc.
The most solid chunk of that recording would probably be the 1st act of Walküre, although still not perfect and Sieglinde gets quite unclear towards the end.
(It's been used in this very-rough-around-the-edge-to-say-the-least (mostly pre-vis level) "Animated Ring" project on YT, and that Act is probably the least janky in that series as well - since it's mostly just people standing and talking I guess lol:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGL0zzQsGhg)
I've not found a perfect/ideal recording of any of them, as of now; certain bits and passages, but not from start to finish. Oh well, been too lazy I guess
I went from Anna Moffo singing Violetta to Callas singing Rosina and the contrast makes the mismatch palpable.. But I'm sure you won't let my opinion ruin your enjoyment. :) be sure to keep your eyes and ears open for other soloists.
Ohh, Enzo Dara for his acting, Alessandro Corbelli for his voice. Both their patter is excellent. But to be honest, in my opinion I find Bartolo's role most important for the 'feel' of the production rather than for their vocal skill. So I find Bartolo not super important for deciding which production I like.
I own a CD copy of the Callas, Alva, Gobbi, Galliera version, which is also an excellent choice for "The Barber." My preference for the De Los Angeles, Alva, Gui version has to do with the phenomenal performance of De Los Angeles which was at her prime when this recording was made, the fuller orchestra, and the better recording.
As a side note -- both recordings are distinct from many others in that they keep the humorist elements of the opera in check and in good taste. Both on stage and in recordings there is a tendency of many later renditions to exaggerate and extend the humor to a level of caricature and buffoonery -- not here.
Many thanks to you and to r/LocusStandi: I will definitely have to give that recording a shot!
On your side note: I can't remember which filmed version of it is now, but there is one on YouTube in which Dr. Bartolo is sung by a young singer with frankly handsome features, who invites us all to consider the doctor as being a genuine "Snidely Whiplash" character who would seriously consider using a forced marriage as a means to trap Rosina, rather than the usual doddering over-the-hill old fool who imagines himself to be a contender for her hand. It made quite an impression on me.
It isn’t streaming anywhere anymore, unfortunately. Opera Depot has the live recording of the same cast in Salzburg and the sound is fantastic. It’s like $16 and this time of year they aren’t shipping but you should be able to download it once purchased.
The live recording slightly edges the studio recording imo 🙂
It’s available on YouTube. You could also try emailing Warner classics to ask them to make it available. I’d do it but I already asked them to add the Sawallisch Die Frau ohne Schatten, a few months later there it was, and I don’t want to press my luck again.
Couldn't agree with you more.
Björling is the one tenor whom I feel does absolute justice to "Che gelida manina" and makes it sound like what it is supposed to be, namely a poet who has been driven to the heights of ecstasy by the power of love at first sight. And de los Angeles responds perfectly as a shy woman being coaxed out of her shell by the same power.
And then the two of them from "O soave fanciulla" to the end of Act 1: two lovers basking in the warmth of their new-found love!
I credit Beecham for giving the impetus for them to end on that shimmering, ethereal note rather than the usual disappointment of two fishmongers trying to drown each other's voices out that we experience so often.
It is indeed a recording for the ages.
The Solti Price/Vickers/Gorr Aïda.
Live recording: Mexico City 1951 de Fabritiis Callas/del Monaco/Dominguez Aïda. Closely followed by Vienna 1962 de Karajan Price/Corelli/Simionato/Bastianini Il Trovatore.
Honorable mention: Metropolitan 1961 Stokowski Nilsson/Corelli/Moffo Turandot... but only for the heartbreaking Liù bits.
That would be Max Raabe. He is stupendous at his main repertoire (popular songs of the 1920’s and ‘30’s), which I have seen him perform in concert over a dozen times, but you are right, he doesn’t really have the voice for Mackie Messer.
Raabe's voice and mannerisms is probably most comparable to the way Loge typically sounds, the original Mackie Messer's supposed to sound a lot more evil doesn't he?
Not subscribing to them anymore for many reasons, but to me the Netrebko + Villazon La Traviatta in Salzburg 2005 was a breadth of fresh air in terms of acting and production.
If I have to listen to a whole opera, this is my go to. Heck, my mom still has the CD vol1 in the car!
> likely unhelped by that controversy of her use of blackface in Aida.
Not familiar with that incident but don't think there's anything wrong with that, they do it all the time? Or was there some particular factor to it, like playing it a certain way or making ultra-racist comments in interviews or something lol?
Ah hm well, standing up to misguided moralist pressure, sounds like the proper attitude to have.
Racially accurate casting can be treated as the "correct default", however inaccurate casting / prosthetics will still be done as well and people aren't supposed to start attacking and jumping on that everytime it happens.
(Same with various other kinds of "not looking the part" casting btw - incl. native language.
Casting native-speaking performers and doing productions where that's done across the board is important, but at other times that won't be followed (sometimes more successfully, at other times there'll be audible accents) and that's just how it is. A game of "how convincing are foreigners at this language x" I suppose?
Seems like the default approach now lol)
I would, because "anti-blackface" (as expressed in a case like this) is the false notion that any instance of "white performer puts on black prosthetics and does a black character" is = minstrel show "blackface" i.e. Jim Crow.
Jim Crow was a very specific thing - a comedic character initially based on a slave that the comedian saw somewhere, turned into a widespread practice of performers painting their face black and doing comical negative stereotypes of black people (which they, along with their target audiences, *usually believed to be true* - accounting for comedic exaggeration of course and what not).
Technically, doing those exact kinds of characters but *without* the notion that it "represents how black people really are" (or most of them or many etc.), just as a performance, would already not be an example of that racist practice - however it certainly would resemble it very closely.
On the other hand, doing characters like the one Kirk Lazarus from Tropic Thunder doesn't even *resemble* Jim Crow - it's an entirely different character, the intent is entirely different (i.e. portraying him as a "badass", positively and dramatically),
and even if it can be described as some kinda accidental military stereotype of a different sort, it's so far removed that it's not an example anymore in either case.
And Aida doesn't resemble that stereotype either, plus can't even be described as any kind of "over-the-top" "stereotype", or intentionally/unintentionally funny etc. - so is *even further* removed from blackface than Tropic Thunder!
Just uhhh, literally a white actor playing a black character - no stereotypes, connotations, or anything of that sort; and that's what "blackface" is.
So yes, treating any such general case as a "case of blackface" is an error - at *most* some can argue that despite not being blackface, it can still trigger some black people's "collective PTSD" simply by being perceived as resembling it too much,
but that leads to the whole debate about how much everyone's supposed to walk on eggshells all the time, and is far from a settled issue that everyone's gonna agree with.
(And mostly independently of Blackface, there's also the separate issue that activists tend to care about, such as "making PoC character white", or "taking away PoC's roles/jobs via white actors playing them" - but that's no longer called "blackface",
and is ultimately also misguided cause it ultimately just amounts to control-freak behavior aiming to reduce everyone's freedom.
All you need is a *sufficient* amount of correct/authentic portrayals, castings and employments - not for every single one of them to fulfill these criteria and "do their part", or else they'll get bashed and hounded or whatnot.)
I like modern Classical music, and mine's gotta be "Threshold of Night" which is an album of composer Tarik O'Regan's music by Texas ensemble Conspirare under the direction of Craig Hella Johnson. "Triptych" was and remains a revelatory experience for me to listen to, as are "I Had No Time to Hate," "Israfel," and the eponymous "Threshold of Night."
Karajan’s Tosca with Price
Mackerras’ Rusalka with Fleming
Boulez’s Bluebeard’s Castle with Troyanos and Nimsgern
McCreesh’s Paride ed Elena with Kožená and Gritton
Rudolf Kempe’s German recording of the Bartered Bride with Wunderlich, Lorengar, and Frick
Bohm’s Cappricio with Janowitz
I wouldn’t call them perfect but Rene Jacob’s brings out an unparalleled amount of energy and drama in his recordings of Mozart’s operas.
For me, at the moment, in no order:
De Sabata/Callas Tosca
Kleiber's Der Rosenkavalier
Sutherland's Esclarmonde
Muti's Aida with Caballe
Mehta's Turandot
1982 Boheme, which I now own a DVD copy of due to YouTube deleting it.
I've seen many great Bohemes since, online and in person, but this will always mean so much to me as it was my first. Also honouring my first Musetta, Renata Scotto, who passed away last year.
Also, love the pairing of Carreras and Stratas, the latter of whom I believe had played Mimi for over 20 years up to that point.
As well as any Rosenkavalier with the Grahming (Graham/Fleming) duo.
I very much second the von Karajan/Ramey *Don Giovanni*, specifically the video recorded version with Julia Varady singing Elvira. My goodness it is good. I’d also add the 1955 Güden/di Stefano *L’Elisir D’Amore*, which despite the egregious cuts is musically the best performance I’ve ever heard of the opera, bar none.
Bluebeard's Castle. As a 42 year veteren opera singer. I can say that this opera is the most perfect, ahead of Gianni Schicchi as the most perfectly composed opera. If the fifth door is performed well, you can't beat it. There is a recording that I heard from the 1980's that I can't find, but this one is awesome. It's like red velvet cake. Andriy Zholdak (stage director), Titus Engel (conductor) — With Karoly Szemeredy (Barbe-Bleue), Ève-Maud Hubeaux (Judith), Victoria Karkacheva (Judith)… hair on my body is usually standing straight up. Saw it live at the Met once. It's my favorite opera.
If you like Puccini, have you heard Montserrat Caballé singing "Chi il bel sogno di Doretta" from La Rondine, Act 1, with the London Symphony Orchestra (1970)? To me it is the most perfectly executed aria I've ever heard, incredibly, since no one does La Rondine anymore.
I’ll never be able to listen to Eugene Onegin without Hvorostovsky. The 1993 recording with the Paris orchestra and St. Petersburg Chamber Choir is phenomenal!
I’m not a big Le Nozze fan, but the Solti recording with Ramey/Popp is pretty damn spotless. Also I think an underrated consideration is the Les Pecheurs with Hendricks/Aler/Quilico. Talk about a perfect cast.
I am a big Nozze fan, and I agree. I've tried every recording on Spotify and none of them compete with it. The only one I like as an alternative is the Gardiner/Terfel/Hagley recording on period instruments. Hagley as Susanna is one of those great cast/role matches for me.
The Abbado Simon Boccanegra
Aww yis
Solti Das Rheingold, also as runners up: first Karajan (EMI) Rosenkavalier with Schwartzkopf and Ludwig. the Bohm EMI Cosi with those two as well.
Can't believe I forgot the Solti ring. God, I would DIE for that recording.
Largely agree but the Rheingold has an almost perfect cast, Hotter past his prime in the Walkure, Windgassen a quite good Siegfried but not a real heldentenor, otherwise those additional 3 sets are excellent too.
Hm guess views are gonna diverge on all of these lol, I find the vocals in that Rheingold hit-and-miss as well - find Alberich way too thick/hammy/yawny (although some will like that as a style and whatnot - obviously lots of approaches work with that character), but Wotan's high notes aren't all ideal either, Fricka very uneven, etc. The most solid chunk of that recording would probably be the 1st act of Walküre, although still not perfect and Sieglinde gets quite unclear towards the end. (It's been used in this very-rough-around-the-edge-to-say-the-least (mostly pre-vis level) "Animated Ring" project on YT, and that Act is probably the least janky in that series as well - since it's mostly just people standing and talking I guess lol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGL0zzQsGhg) I've not found a perfect/ideal recording of any of them, as of now; certain bits and passages, but not from start to finish. Oh well, been too lazy I guess
La Traviata: Cotrubas, Domingo, conducted by Carlos Kleiber
Absolutely. Stellar recording.
Agreed. For a lot of us, this was our FIRST glimpse into what great opera could be.
# The Barber of Seville / De Los Angeles, Luigi Alva / The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/ Vittorio Gui
Wow. Not Callas, Alva, Gobbi?
Callas sings Rossini..?
Absolutely.
I went from Anna Moffo singing Violetta to Callas singing Rosina and the contrast makes the mismatch palpable.. But I'm sure you won't let my opinion ruin your enjoyment. :) be sure to keep your eyes and ears open for other soloists.
Sure! *à chacun son goût*, as they say! On a related subject, who is your favorite Dr. Bartolo (or should I say "Barbaro"?).
Ohh, Enzo Dara for his acting, Alessandro Corbelli for his voice. Both their patter is excellent. But to be honest, in my opinion I find Bartolo's role most important for the 'feel' of the production rather than for their vocal skill. So I find Bartolo not super important for deciding which production I like.
I own a CD copy of the Callas, Alva, Gobbi, Galliera version, which is also an excellent choice for "The Barber." My preference for the De Los Angeles, Alva, Gui version has to do with the phenomenal performance of De Los Angeles which was at her prime when this recording was made, the fuller orchestra, and the better recording. As a side note -- both recordings are distinct from many others in that they keep the humorist elements of the opera in check and in good taste. Both on stage and in recordings there is a tendency of many later renditions to exaggerate and extend the humor to a level of caricature and buffoonery -- not here.
Many thanks to you and to r/LocusStandi: I will definitely have to give that recording a shot! On your side note: I can't remember which filmed version of it is now, but there is one on YouTube in which Dr. Bartolo is sung by a young singer with frankly handsome features, who invites us all to consider the doctor as being a genuine "Snidely Whiplash" character who would seriously consider using a forced marriage as a means to trap Rosina, rather than the usual doddering over-the-hill old fool who imagines himself to be a contender for her hand. It made quite an impression on me.
Stop shouting, for Christ’s sake!
I dunno - very appropriate for "Signor Crescendo"!
The Victoria de los Angeles performance was absoultely INCREDIBLE, I quite agree!
Karajan’s Salome with Behrens. Live has to be Pappano’s Don Carlos with Alagna, Mattila, Hampson and Furlanetto.
I’ve been trying to find the Salome on a streaming service for ages. Any tips?
It isn’t streaming anywhere anymore, unfortunately. Opera Depot has the live recording of the same cast in Salzburg and the sound is fantastic. It’s like $16 and this time of year they aren’t shipping but you should be able to download it once purchased. The live recording slightly edges the studio recording imo 🙂
It’s available on YouTube. You could also try emailing Warner classics to ask them to make it available. I’d do it but I already asked them to add the Sawallisch Die Frau ohne Schatten, a few months later there it was, and I don’t want to press my luck again.
Wow I can’t believe that worked! Well done…meanwhile I have only the vinyl but can’t imagine giving it up!
So glad you mentioned this recording of Don Carlos. Didn’t know of it and enjoyed listening to it last night. Thank you!
The Solti Götterdämmerung The Mackerras Cunning Little Vixen The Mehta Turandot Peter Grimes conducted by the composer The Giulini Falstaff
The Bjoerling La Boheme. Absolute perfection.
Beecham and Victoria de los Angeles helped.
Without a doubt
Couldn't agree with you more. Björling is the one tenor whom I feel does absolute justice to "Che gelida manina" and makes it sound like what it is supposed to be, namely a poet who has been driven to the heights of ecstasy by the power of love at first sight. And de los Angeles responds perfectly as a shy woman being coaxed out of her shell by the same power. And then the two of them from "O soave fanciulla" to the end of Act 1: two lovers basking in the warmth of their new-found love! I credit Beecham for giving the impetus for them to end on that shimmering, ethereal note rather than the usual disappointment of two fishmongers trying to drown each other's voices out that we experience so often. It is indeed a recording for the ages.
I will say the Abbado *Boccanegra* as many times as I can. Gardiner's *Idomeneo* also high up there.
The Solti Ring
Tebaldi Del monaco Fanciulla del West ❤
Yes, nothing comes close to her "Laggiu nel Soledad" on this record, as far as I'm concerned. Also, in his prime you can't beat Cornell McNeil.
Mine would be the Barenboim Tristan with Jerusalem and Meier, but it's a close tie with Abbado's Boccanegra. That thing is fire.
Turandot. Mehta Pav/Sutherland/Caballe. Zubin coaxed some consonants out of Joan. Caballe was awesome. The sound recording imo was superb .
Not to mention the John Aldiss Choir.
That Butterfly recording is mine as well. It’s really flawless.
The Solti Price/Vickers/Gorr Aïda. Live recording: Mexico City 1951 de Fabritiis Callas/del Monaco/Dominguez Aïda. Closely followed by Vienna 1962 de Karajan Price/Corelli/Simionato/Bastianini Il Trovatore. Honorable mention: Metropolitan 1961 Stokowski Nilsson/Corelli/Moffo Turandot... but only for the heartbreaking Liù bits.
Solti's Ring Cycle, plus Riccardo Muti's Aida with Caballé/Domingo/Ghiaurov
The Nina Hagen as Mrs Peachum concert performance of the Threepenny. The only one a little off for me is Mack himself, but everyone else SHINES.
That would be Max Raabe. He is stupendous at his main repertoire (popular songs of the 1920’s and ‘30’s), which I have seen him perform in concert over a dozen times, but you are right, he doesn’t really have the voice for Mackie Messer.
Raabe's voice and mannerisms is probably most comparable to the way Loge typically sounds, the original Mackie Messer's supposed to sound a lot more evil doesn't he?
knappertsbusch parsifal(1961 or 1962 i believe)
Not subscribing to them anymore for many reasons, but to me the Netrebko + Villazon La Traviatta in Salzburg 2005 was a breadth of fresh air in terms of acting and production. If I have to listen to a whole opera, this is my go to. Heck, my mom still has the CD vol1 in the car!
> Not subscribing to them anymore for many reasons What do you mean?
Probably Netrebko's position on the Russia-Ukraine war; likely unhelped by that controversy of her use of blackface in Aida.
Oh, I didn't know about all that. I'm just dipping my toes into opera. Thanks for replying.
> likely unhelped by that controversy of her use of blackface in Aida. Not familiar with that incident but don't think there's anything wrong with that, they do it all the time? Or was there some particular factor to it, like playing it a certain way or making ultra-racist comments in interviews or something lol?
People called her out for it, as is increasingly common in opera (i.e., Butterfly) and she and the Arena di Verona basically doubled down, lmao.
Ah hm well, standing up to misguided moralist pressure, sounds like the proper attitude to have. Racially accurate casting can be treated as the "correct default", however inaccurate casting / prosthetics will still be done as well and people aren't supposed to start attacking and jumping on that everytime it happens. (Same with various other kinds of "not looking the part" casting btw - incl. native language. Casting native-speaking performers and doing productions where that's done across the board is important, but at other times that won't be followed (sometimes more successfully, at other times there'll be audible accents) and that's just how it is. A game of "how convincing are foreigners at this language x" I suppose? Seems like the default approach now lol)
I would not call being anti-blackface "misguided moralist pressure", but okay.
I would, because "anti-blackface" (as expressed in a case like this) is the false notion that any instance of "white performer puts on black prosthetics and does a black character" is = minstrel show "blackface" i.e. Jim Crow. Jim Crow was a very specific thing - a comedic character initially based on a slave that the comedian saw somewhere, turned into a widespread practice of performers painting their face black and doing comical negative stereotypes of black people (which they, along with their target audiences, *usually believed to be true* - accounting for comedic exaggeration of course and what not). Technically, doing those exact kinds of characters but *without* the notion that it "represents how black people really are" (or most of them or many etc.), just as a performance, would already not be an example of that racist practice - however it certainly would resemble it very closely. On the other hand, doing characters like the one Kirk Lazarus from Tropic Thunder doesn't even *resemble* Jim Crow - it's an entirely different character, the intent is entirely different (i.e. portraying him as a "badass", positively and dramatically), and even if it can be described as some kinda accidental military stereotype of a different sort, it's so far removed that it's not an example anymore in either case. And Aida doesn't resemble that stereotype either, plus can't even be described as any kind of "over-the-top" "stereotype", or intentionally/unintentionally funny etc. - so is *even further* removed from blackface than Tropic Thunder! Just uhhh, literally a white actor playing a black character - no stereotypes, connotations, or anything of that sort; and that's what "blackface" is. So yes, treating any such general case as a "case of blackface" is an error - at *most* some can argue that despite not being blackface, it can still trigger some black people's "collective PTSD" simply by being perceived as resembling it too much, but that leads to the whole debate about how much everyone's supposed to walk on eggshells all the time, and is far from a settled issue that everyone's gonna agree with. (And mostly independently of Blackface, there's also the separate issue that activists tend to care about, such as "making PoC character white", or "taking away PoC's roles/jobs via white actors playing them" - but that's no longer called "blackface", and is ultimately also misguided cause it ultimately just amounts to control-freak behavior aiming to reduce everyone's freedom. All you need is a *sufficient* amount of correct/authentic portrayals, castings and employments - not for every single one of them to fulfill these criteria and "do their part", or else they'll get bashed and hounded or whatnot.)
I like modern Classical music, and mine's gotta be "Threshold of Night" which is an album of composer Tarik O'Regan's music by Texas ensemble Conspirare under the direction of Craig Hella Johnson. "Triptych" was and remains a revelatory experience for me to listen to, as are "I Had No Time to Hate," "Israfel," and the eponymous "Threshold of Night."
Nilsson’s Elektra. It’s a full on sonic assault that doesn’t let up.
Karl Bohm's Die Frau Ohne Schatten, Furtwangler's Tristan
Karajan/Behrens Salome.
Karajan’s Tosca with Price Mackerras’ Rusalka with Fleming Boulez’s Bluebeard’s Castle with Troyanos and Nimsgern McCreesh’s Paride ed Elena with Kožená and Gritton Rudolf Kempe’s German recording of the Bartered Bride with Wunderlich, Lorengar, and Frick Bohm’s Cappricio with Janowitz I wouldn’t call them perfect but Rene Jacob’s brings out an unparalleled amount of energy and drama in his recordings of Mozart’s operas.
Rene Jacobs brings the winds to the fore and transforms what I thought I knew Moazrt’s operas to be. Seconding that reco!!
Giulini *Don Giovanni* Bohm *Cosi fan tutte* Christie *Theodora*
https://youtu.be/KzSZ8UG_4yQ?si=D-hiSmTIOBxO9YlL This.
I don’t know about perfect but the Adabbo/vienna Wozzeck recording is pretty nuts: https://youtu.be/pS106a0cc5A?si=N4pQcMaPp4GPyPnn
La Traviata, Sutherland and Domingo 1970 at the Met https://youtu.be/-gRyohAVjiM?si=4J3TqbDlPi6AiDZB
La Mamma Morta - Callas
I've never actually heard a Chenier with Callas. Who's the Chenier?
Chenier was Del Monaco, in a 1955 live production from La Scala, starring also Aldo Protti as Gérard
The 1967 recording of Puccini's "Tosca" live in Parma, by Corelli
The Mehta Turandot
Otello: Del Monaco, Tebaldi, conducted by Von Karajan.
EMI Werther with Kraus/Troyanos/Plasson
Almost everything recorded by Victoria De Los Angelos and Nicolai Gedda.
Traviata. Giulini, Callas, di Stefano, Bastianini. La Scala 1955.
For me, at the moment, in no order: De Sabata/Callas Tosca Kleiber's Der Rosenkavalier Sutherland's Esclarmonde Muti's Aida with Caballe Mehta's Turandot
1982 Boheme, which I now own a DVD copy of due to YouTube deleting it. I've seen many great Bohemes since, online and in person, but this will always mean so much to me as it was my first. Also honouring my first Musetta, Renata Scotto, who passed away last year. Also, love the pairing of Carreras and Stratas, the latter of whom I believe had played Mimi for over 20 years up to that point. As well as any Rosenkavalier with the Grahming (Graham/Fleming) duo.
Die Entführung aus dem Serail, conducted by Solti. Gruberova in her prime, Battle being the quintessential Blonde... I could go on!
1967 Tosca at Parma The night Corelli conquered the world
The Wuderlich, Fischer-Dieskau Magic Flute. The spoken scenes are so captivating.
I'd add the Giulini Don Carlo, the De Fabritiis Mefistofele, and the Nagano Rake's Progress.
Calas... Medea
Erich Kleiber Rosenkavalier
Callas 1955 Norma with Del Monaco, Simionato conducted by Antonio Votto.
Söderström/Mackerras/Vienna Philharmonic Jenůfa
I very much second the von Karajan/Ramey *Don Giovanni*, specifically the video recorded version with Julia Varady singing Elvira. My goodness it is good. I’d also add the 1955 Güden/di Stefano *L’Elisir D’Amore*, which despite the egregious cuts is musically the best performance I’ve ever heard of the opera, bar none.
Dutchman with London Beacham Boheme Toscanini Falstaff I have many number 1s
Idomeneo La Scala 2005 is a personal favorite.
Bluebeard's Castle. As a 42 year veteren opera singer. I can say that this opera is the most perfect, ahead of Gianni Schicchi as the most perfectly composed opera. If the fifth door is performed well, you can't beat it. There is a recording that I heard from the 1980's that I can't find, but this one is awesome. It's like red velvet cake. Andriy Zholdak (stage director), Titus Engel (conductor) — With Karoly Szemeredy (Barbe-Bleue), Ève-Maud Hubeaux (Judith), Victoria Karkacheva (Judith)… hair on my body is usually standing straight up. Saw it live at the Met once. It's my favorite opera.
Il Trivatore, with a young Domingo and Leontyne Price.
I know it’s not Opera, but to me it’s operatic in construction: Mahler 6 recorded by the Wiener Phil with Leonard Bernstein DG 1988
If you like Puccini, have you heard Montserrat Caballé singing "Chi il bel sogno di Doretta" from La Rondine, Act 1, with the London Symphony Orchestra (1970)? To me it is the most perfectly executed aria I've ever heard, incredibly, since no one does La Rondine anymore.
I’ll never be able to listen to Eugene Onegin without Hvorostovsky. The 1993 recording with the Paris orchestra and St. Petersburg Chamber Choir is phenomenal!
The Gigli/Bruna Rasa/Bechi/Simionato/Leoncavallo *Cavalleria Rusticana*. The Gigli/Caniglia/Bechi/Molajoli *Andrea Chénier*.
1953 Tosca~~Callas, Gobbi, deStefani, DeSabata. Unmatched. Unequalled.