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New to Opera, have some questions

I heard part of Carmina Burana last year and decided I really wanted to buy it. I have a few copies, and recently bought Der Mond.

I also bought a version of Carmen, but the surface noise was too much. I was disappointed because I liked the music, and singing.

I'm wondering what other Opera's people might suggest, and does it make any difference to most listeners if they can understand the language? I like Der Mond because I do speak some German.
uppermidfi

Showing 2 responses by cincy_bob

cincy_bob
270 posts
 
In addition to the Callas recording of Puccini's Tosca that was mentioned by Rja, I would suggest Puccini's La Boheme. I have been listening to von Karajan's 1972 Decca recording, which features Pavrotti in his prime. I own this recording on vinyl, and the sound is spectacular. Here is a link to the CD version of the recording:

Puccini: La Boheme

The music is simply beautiful, and there is no need to understand the Italian language or see the performance to appreciate this musical masterpiece. Also, this opera is very manageable in length (70 minutes), so it is a work that you can appreciate in one sitting without ever feeling that you are sitting through a marathon.
cincy_bob
270 posts
 
I just noticed that Archiv Music indicates the length of the von Karajan/Pavrotti La Boheme recording is 110 minutes, so it would appear I underestimated the length of the recording. My estimate was based on the fact that the LP version of this recording is only four LP sides. Nonetheless, it is very manageable and enjoyable to listen to this entire recording in a single listening session.
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