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Oliver Twist asks Moore for more
Posted by Evan Blackmore on January 29, 2023, 9:06 pm
Ralph Moore c/o MusicWeb International
Dear Mr Moore, I am a child in artistic matters, incarcerated in a workhouse named the Twenty-First Century, from which I fear I shall never escape. In this workhouse, I am being fed a diet consisting mainly of operatic gruel. Most of the little solid nourishment I get comes from MusicWeb International. Please, sir, I want more!
I believe two sorts of additional food would particularly help to balance my diet.
1. I benefited so much from your recentish surveys of Early Verdi and Donizetti that I wonder whether you might be able to supply similar surveys of other interesting “less well-known” operas—anything of the kind that appealed to your taste. You might, e.g., have some favourite recordings of late 18th century operas (Paisiello? Cimarosa? Gluck? etc.). And the recent forum discussion of Das Christelflein made me wonder what recordings of Pfitzner and/or his near-contemporaries (late 19th/early 20th century) you particularly enjoy (if any!). But I’m not asking for these specifically—just citing them as possible examples. As with the Donizetti survey, I’m not asking for comprehensiveness—just comments on selected personal favourites in whatever areas you like. And I’m certainly not asking for surveys of operas you don’t much like—that would be a thankless chore, and in any case I don’t think anyone writes well on such subjects (as some of the chapters in the Opera on Record series painfully demonstrate!).
2. I also keep coming back to the “Untouchable and Most Recommendable” survey, and hungering for fuller and broader discussion of some of the operas mentioned in it. Yes, some of your readers will indeed want to know what is The Single Best Recording of an opera. But I suspect most of your readers like to collect multiple recordings of favourite operas, to approach each work from different angles. You’ve already provided expanded discussions of one or two of the operas from this survey (e.g., Don Giovanni), and I’d love to consume more delicacies of that sort. Of course, nobody will expect you to survey every recording of (say) La Traviata. But if we already have La Traviata with Callas, and we want to add one or two others (or even a little more than one or two)—what would be some of the other options, and what would be the distinctive attractions of each? Again, I’m not asking for Traviata in particular—just citing it as an example.
In the old days I asked for more gruel. But now I know better. What I really want in my diet is less gruel, and more Moore.
Yours with deepest gratitude and respect, O. Twist
Thank you, Evan; I am gratified that you are emboldened to ask for more nourishment and I would be a churlish Mr Bumble indeed not to accede to such a heartfelt plea.
That answers part of your request. Only last week a friend and I were listening to some wonderful Gluck and it reminded me how much I love some of his opera apart from the obvious Orfeo ed Euridice, so think that could be next on my list. I am, however, currently engaged on a survey of Berlioz' La damnation de Faust, so must complete that first.
Perhaps that will keep your hunger gripes at bay for a while.
All the best,
Ralph
Previous Message
Ralph Moore c/o MusicWeb International
Dear Mr Moore, I am a child in artistic matters, incarcerated in a workhouse named the Twenty-First Century, from which I fear I shall never escape. In this workhouse, I am being fed a diet consisting mainly of operatic gruel. Most of the little solid nourishment I get comes from MusicWeb International. Please, sir, I want more!
I believe two sorts of additional food would particularly help to balance my diet.
1. I benefited so much from your recentish surveys of Early Verdi and Donizetti that I wonder whether you might be able to supply similar surveys of other interesting “less well-known” operas—anything of the kind that appealed to your taste. You might, e.g., have some favourite recordings of late 18th century operas (Paisiello? Cimarosa? Gluck? etc.). And the recent forum discussion of Das Christelflein made me wonder what recordings of Pfitzner and/or his near-contemporaries (late 19th/early 20th century) you particularly enjoy (if any!). But I’m not asking for these specifically—just citing them as possible examples. As with the Donizetti survey, I’m not asking for comprehensiveness—just comments on selected personal favourites in whatever areas you like. And I’m certainly not asking for surveys of operas you don’t much like—that would be a thankless chore, and in any case I don’t think anyone writes well on such subjects (as some of the chapters in the Opera on Record series painfully demonstrate!).
2. I also keep coming back to the “Untouchable and Most Recommendable” survey, and hungering for fuller and broader discussion of some of the operas mentioned in it. Yes, some of your readers will indeed want to know what is The Single Best Recording of an opera. But I suspect most of your readers like to collect multiple recordings of favourite operas, to approach each work from different angles. You’ve already provided expanded discussions of one or two of the operas from this survey (e.g., Don Giovanni ), and I’d love to consume more delicacies of that sort. Of course, nobody will expect you to survey every recording of (say) La Traviata . But if we already have La Traviata with Callas, and we want to add one or two others (or even a little more than one or two)—what would be some of the other options, and what would be the distinctive attractions of each? Again, I’m not asking for Traviata in particular—just citing it as an example.
In the old days I asked for more gruel. But now I know better. What I really want in my diet is less gruel, and more Moore.
Yours with deepest gratitude and respect, O. Twist
Oh, how silly of me! No, I didn't at all miss the Traviata survey, but nowadays my memory sometimes plays odd little tricks on me.
When I wrote Master Twist's message, I referred to Lohengrin instead of Traviata, but at the very last instant, just before posting it, it struck me that Traviata would be a better example, thinking also that I could imagine so vividly how Ralph Moore would do it. Now I know why I could imagine it so vividly!
Thrilled by the forthcoming prospects of Berlioz's Faust and Gluck--nothing I'd enjoy more. Both are among our very favourite composers ("our" because my wife is just as keen on them as I am), and in both cases the discography is full of interesting nooks & crannies--I'm sure that, as usual, there will be some dark horses revealed whose existence I've never suspected.
Just a heads up, Evan, that the Gluck survey of 25 recordings will be posted for next Friday. I am now thoroughly Glucked out.
Previous Message
Oh, how silly of me! No, I didn't at all miss the Traviata survey, but nowadays my memory sometimes plays odd little tricks on me.
When I wrote Master Twist's message, I referred to Lohengrin instead of Traviata , but at the very last instant, just before posting it, it struck me that Traviata would be a better example, thinking also that I could imagine so vividly how Ralph Moore would do it. Now I know why I could imagine it so vividly!
Thrilled by the forthcoming prospects of Berlioz's Faust and Gluck--nothing I'd enjoy more. Both are among our very favourite composers ("our" because my wife is just as keen on them as I am), and in both cases the discography is full of interesting nooks & crannies--I'm sure that, as usual, there will be some dark horses revealed whose existence I've never suspected.
Thank you so much, Ralph. Looking forward to it! (And to your Idomeneo survey.)
Delighted with your discussion of Berlioz's Faust; as usual, it has sent me back to old favourites with renewed pleasure while also drawing attention to things I'd passed over when they first appeared (Chung, for one). What a strange, complex discography the work has!
I think Master Twist is going to feel well satisfied for a good while to come.