First Sadko c/o Amazon Prime

[lennygoran]

Wow I wish I could have seen this live-while the filming could have been a little better the production was very spectacular-on our TV screen it lost some of that and at times seemed a little cluttered-still the sets and costumes and special effects were wonderful-very good singing-paid $2.99 from Amazon Prime to rent it. Regards, Len

Rimsky-Korsakov's colorful masterpiece Sadko is one of the cornerstones of the Russian operatic repertoire. This live 1980 performance features legendary Bolshoi Opera stars Vladimir Atlantov, Tamara Milashkina, and Irina Arkhipova. Orchestra and Chorus of the Bolshoi Theatre conducted by Yuri Simonov. (English subtitled)

[John F]

A highlight of "Sadko" is the scene in the Sea King's court, when the Viking, Hindu, and Venetian guests sing about their homelands that border on the ocean. In the first recording these were star turns, with Mark Reizen, Ivan Kozlovsky, and Pavel Lisitsian respectively.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mib5hdWcqfI


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20bDvtJ-Iwk


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BGP9X1dBJ4

And then there's the intermezzo known as the Flight of the Bumblebee.

[lennygoran]

A highlight of "Sadko" is the scene in the Sea King's court, when the Viking, Hindu, and Venetian guests sing about their homelands that border on the ocean. In the first recording these were star turns, with Mark Reizen, Ivan Kozlovsky, and Pavel Lisitsian respectively.

Thanks for these-it was the final Act though that really clinched it for me-brought the whole opera together for me! Regards, Len

[jbuck919]

Just for fun, before Len joined, we had a semi-crazy member whose name escapes me (Donald Isler would remember) who thought that Rimsky was the greatest Romantic composer. He also thought that the Magnificat was Bach's greatest work.

[John F]

Rimsky-Korsakov may not have been the greatest Romantic composer - of course he wasn't - but outside of Russia, his achievement is not taken as seriously as it deserves. Part of it is that so much of it is in opera, large-scale spectacular opera that's expensive to stage properly. The only one of his operas to get much play here is the more modest-scaled "The Golden Cockerel," which is atypical of him.

Visits of the Kirov/Maryinsky Opera conducted by Valery Gergiev have shown New Yorkers not one but two productions of "The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh," which I believe has otherwise never been performed in the western hemisphere.. There used to be talk of a Met production with Gergiev, but it hasn't happened and probably won't. The intermezzo depicting the battle of Kershenets is sensational. Koussevitzky recorded it with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJDZuWo3-2o


I used to look down my nose at "Sheherezade," and hadn't listened to it for many years until Kurt Masur, that eminently serious musician, programmed it with the New York Philharmonic. There must have been something else on the program to get me into the hall, but it was "Sheherezade" that opened my ears. On that evening I heard it not as a tone poem but as a program symphony on a very large scale, and that's how I still hear it.

Stravinsky not only studied with Rimsky-Korsakov, his early works, especially "Firebird," are Rimskyan in every way. It wasn't until "Petrouchka" that his own distinctive style left Rimsky-Korsakov's behind.

[lennygoran]

Rimsky-Korsakov may not have been the greatest Romantic composer - of course he wasn't - but outside of Russia, his achievement is not taken as seriously as it deserves.

John exactly how I feel and I also came across a Prince Igor with captions that's rentable that looked traditional but of course I'll check that out before I go for it-I already got burned by the live poppy-filledl Met production and this time I want to see it the way I like them done. Regards, Len

[jbuck919]

For the record, I did not disagree with Mark what's-his-name (I could kill myself for not remembering) about the Rimsky operas. (I call him Rimsky because that's what Stravinsky did.) In fact, I informed him that there was going to be a festival of them somewhere, not in Russia, in case he was able to attend. Also, he was the person who first explained to me the title of the famous if pretty lousy organ piece by Liszt "Ad nos, ad salutarem undam." It always looked to me as though it meant "To us, to healthy vibes." In fact it is from Le Prophète and is sung by the anabaptist priests. It means "To us, to the saving waters [of adult baptism]."

[lennygoran]

For the record, I did not disagree with Mark what's-his-name

I'll go on the record too-while Rimsky has proved valuable there's no doubt Donizetti blows him out of the water! Regards, Len [fleeing to Secaucus]

[maestrob]

Scheherezade may be Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov's best-known work, but his operas do, I agree, show him at his best rather than his 3 symphonies, which are rather formal (1 & 3) and weak, although II is quite interesting (the "Antar"). My personal favorite is "Tsar's Bride," which Rimsky-Korsakov composed after hearing Puccini's "La boheme," which inspired Rimsky to compose his opera based on Puccini's style. I've done Marfa's Mad Scene in my competition; it is a pinnacle of operatic writing when compared to any other composed you would wish to name.

I may have mentioned this before, but Neeme Jarvi's debut recording on Chandos was a three-disc set of orchestral excerpts from Rimsky's many operas. It was an immediate hit, and has not been out of print since. Highly recommended:

[lennygoran]

My personal favorite is "Tsar's Bride," which Rimsky-Korsakov composed after hearing Puccini's "La boheme," which inspired Rimsky to compose his opera based on Puccini's style.

Brian I found a free youtube with captions. Couldn't determine cast or orchestra on this. Regards, Len

[maestrob]

Hi, Len!

I first learned about The Tsar's Bride from this film, made by the Bolshoi Opera in the 1960's and made available here on videotape during the 1980's, if you're interested.....

[jbuck919]

For the record, I did not disagree with Mark what's-his-name

I'll go on the record too-while Rimsky has proved valuable there's no doubt Donizetti blows him out of the water! Regards, Len [fleeing to Secaucus]

I don't know if I'll ever warm up to Donizetti, but as much as I hate to admit it, the finale of the overture to Rossini's Guillaume Tell may be the most thrilling thing in all of music. We all considerate a cliché from The Lone Ranger, but modern kids don't know that. Here is a performance by entirely non-Western forces.

[lennygoran]

Hi, Len!

I first learned about The Tsar's Bride from this film, made by the Bolshoi Opera in the 1960's and made available here on videotape during the 1980's, if you're interested.....

Brian thanks-l'll check this out when we get back from NYC-it had English captions? Len

[maestrob]

Sure, Len, the film was released with subtitles. Enjoy!

[lennygoran]

Sure, Len, the film was released with subtitles. Enjoy!

Brian great thanks-tonight we were right over there across from Crispo at with a friend-went to La Nacionale right across the street for Tapas-unfortunately the food disappointed althoght the staff was very nice. Regards,Len

[maestrob]

Sure, Len, the film was released with subtitles. Enjoy!

Brian great thanks-tonight we were right over there across from Crispo at with a friend-went to La Nacionale right across the street for Tapas-unfortunately the food disappointed althoght the staff was very nice. Regards,Len

Thanks for the heads' up. We've not been there: we can't eat Mexican food due to stomach trouble. Crispo's is our hangout now......

[lennygoran]

Thanks for the heads' up. We've not been there: we can't eat Mexican food due to stomach trouble. Crispo's is our hangout now......

Brian I looked into Crispo and it looked nice. Len

[maestrob]

Thanks for the heads' up. We've not been there: we can't eat Mexican food due to stomach trouble. Crispo's is our hangout now......

Brian I looked into Crispo and it looked nice. Len

Crispo's food and wine list are both excellent. We're there on a regular basis. My favorite wine is a Malbec from Argentina called "Punta final:" it's grown in the furthest south region of Argentina. Frank Crispo's prices are certainly reasonable for a Manhattan restaurant, ranging from $24.95 to $28.95 for entrees. A dinner for four including wine coffee & dessert can run $65-$75 per person, and astoundingly low price for this area, so he packs them in on weekends: up to 500 reservations! Weekdays are more calm, of course. Frank doesn't do lunch, because we're not much of a luncheon neighborhood, unfortunately, even though Googe's NY headquarters is right next to my building in the Port Authority.

[lennygoran]

even though Googe's NY headquarters is right next to my building in the Port Authority.

Brian we come into the Port Authority every day we stay in Secaucus-I always thought Google was located further down by the Chelsea Market? Regards, Len

[jbuck919]

even though Googe's NY headquarters is right next to my building in the Port Authority.

Brian we come into the Port Authority every day we stay in Secaucus-I always thought Google was located further down by the Chelsea Market? Regards, Len



I thought Secaucus was a joke the last time you mentioned it. Why on Earth do you ever stay in such a God-forsaken place? Not that I'm one to talk.

Most of northeast New Jersey is pretty awful. In college there was an excellent lecturer who mentioned that the great poet Wallace Stevens always wore the same white suit tailored by someone from East Orange. The room erupted in laughter.

[lennygoran]

I thought Secaucus was a joke the last time you mentioned it. Why on Earth do you ever stay in such a God-forsaken place? Not that I'm one to talk.

John it's not nearly as God-forsaken as you might think-7 or 8 nice hotels at prices half the price of NYC with the NJ Transit Bus 320 that in 10 minutes gets you right into the Port authority-parking and breakfast are free at our hotel of choice-price and convenience-that's why we do it-Harmon Meadow! Regards, Len

http://www.harmonmeadow.com/Pages/index.html

[maestrob]

Hi, Len.

The building in question is between 15th and 16th Streets on 8th Ave., and is also owned by the Port Authority. When I first moved to this neighborhood (I was the second person to sign a lease in 1974 when the building was new.), it housed a Citibank branch, now Google has its headquarters there.

[lennygoran]

The building in question is between 15th and 16th Streets on 8th Ave., and is also owned by the Port Authority.

Brian thanks, I didn't know about that ownership-we pass the Google Building alot as we always seem to end up walking through Chelsea Market-on our recent trip in I walked the High Line from 23rd to 14th but didn't enter Chelsea Market-decided to walk in the west village and wound up in Washington Square Park-hadn't actually been there in quite a few years. The building going on around that part of the High Line right now is incredible! Regards, Len