Just received the Te Kanawa/Domingo/Maazel recording of Rondine. Love it but, in my opinion, there are many instances where the vocalists let the music define the delivery rather than the the characters. It often seems to be the case, because the characters are pretty ordinary people and the music is an extraordinary musical journey. When the singers are swept away by the music, the characters pay the price. Magda is a pretty level headed individual almost by necessity given her ‘profession’. Early in the opera she experiences a moment of nostalgia that she struggles with, resulting in her affair with a young student newly arrived in Paris. Later, when she comes to, she realizes this little fling could result in terrible consequences and musters the courage to break things off before too much damage is done. That demonstrates her strength of character and it costs her. That is the turmoil so incredibly realized in the music in this opera, but if the singer follows the music, the character is lost and the story makes little sense. That is precisely what this cast does not do and the results are what allowed my to fall in love with Rondine. When done right, it proves via Puccini that ordinary people can experience intense emotions and can make very difficult decisions without compromising their own integrity as ordinary people or even calling attention to themselves. I think it was Puccini’s idea for the future of opera. O Dio!! I hope this is my last comment on this. Thank you Magda, Ruggerio, Prunier, Lisette for your restraint in the face of such incredibly moving music. The results are profound. Valerio Galli, Orchestra and Chorus and everyone associated with this performance, thank you for bringing it to life.

Another Rondine showed up recently on KZbin. It's a recording, (1980s) not live, but Te Kanawa and Domingo perform with Maazel conducting. I finally was able to listen tonight and discovered that Maazel and company also got Rondine right! It's a little out of scale for the Rondine story, but with Domingo and Te Kanawa, the largeness is quite an experience. However, in spite of its size, it delivers Rondine with honesty and focus. I still find this Bakanova and co. performance to be the perfect fit, but I was amazed to find another Rondine that seemed to get at the core of the opera in a similar manner. I try to avoid judging vocal performances, since I am completely unqualified to offer such opinions, but after hearing this recording, I feel even more confident in expressing how impressed I am with all your performances. For anyone interested, here is the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqTNgp9vi6-dp5o

Just gorgeous!

Beautiful very beautiful voice, soprano top, tenor top. The soprano voice touches my heart........Bakanova 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

Not sure which ending I think is best. Both fittingly sad.

This is a gorgeous opera. I liked the soprano very much.

Cantanti presi da qualche bettola di secondo ordine. Orrore 🤮

Questa opera e come una telenovela mexicana e un rollo che no finisce mai piu 😮😮😮😢😢😢😢😢 in somma una gran cagatta, e la música una violinatte che non finisce mai come un drammone hollywood😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

3:20 8:30 10:38 Chi il bel sogno di Doretta

This is the IV act.

1:52:55

This is my favorite Puccini's opera and I've seen and listened to them all, great many times.

Una splendida produzione del capolavoro del Divino Giacomo Puccini

Immenso

1:00:34

Why not english subtitles..:(

БРАВО ЕКАТЕРИНА!❤👏👏👏🌹🌹🌹 🎉

Yes.. the lead is lovely. But the 2nd sop. Is tooooo wobbly.

♥️🇷🇺🇸🇮🇺🇸16:49💄🇩🇪I’m here🇩🇪💄🇮🇹🇫🇷🇷🇺🇸🇮🇺🇸♥️

OHHH la la! Merci! Bravissima! Dans cet air d'un répertoire si usé vous avez trouvé les moyens pour le faire refleurir!

Bravissima! Quella technica vocale! Merci !

Magnifique! La musique est au Rendez Vous! Merci et encore!

Bravissima Ekaterina! Merci ! Encore!

Bravissima! Super! Merci

Bravissima Ekaterina! Merci !

Екатерина!Не узнать❤️

Scena and Duet 17:20

TROPPO BELLA ,MERAVIGLIOSO PUCCINI

Puccini è l'Opera! Grande Maestro!

My talented colleague tenor who regularly sings Alfredo said Ms. Bakanova is one of the best partners he worked with.

Brilliant soprano

36:48

It’s a fun production. Sometimes looking weirdly Camp and comic versus romantic. Much is lost by 1960’s silly modernizing this opera but the singing is warm and bright enough. Some of the textures are rushed for some reason. The tenor Ruggero is so cute however the voice is a bit light for this part. 53:37 The lead Magda sings with bright and idiomatic tone with a great chest register. She looks stunning in every costume like an “It girl” giving off Kiera Knightly actress vibes. This performance is not overly sentimental however…rather highlighting the hyperactivity of the matchmaking. Again that is is another way to interpret this opera. A very dizzying romantic whirl of an opera.

uno schifo VERGOGNATEVI.......

povero Puccini....questi cantanti nn sanno proprio cosa sia la melodia e l intonazione......ma come si puo' calcare il palcoscenico in questo modo.....perdonali Giacomo

Lately, you tube postings of operas I've enjoyed are no longer available. In some cases I purchased the DVD in time in other I was not so lucky. It then struck me that this posting of Rondine might meet a similar fate. Given that through this production I became an instant and devoted fan of Rondine, I would miss it terribly. Early on, I did see a DVD available, but then needed one with an English translation. That is no longer important to me, but I do not want to head into my remaining years without this companion. Lately, though I came up empty in an initial search. Does anyone have any information regarding the purchase of a DVD of this production?

Fantastica edizione

Veramente bravissima! Bella voce! Complimenti!

Lovely tenor! 😍

Ho avuto il piacere di ascoltarla questa sera accompagnata dalla Camerata Ducale nella basilica di S.Andrea a Vercelli, SPETTACOLARE.

I felt that it was easy to get close to with modern costumes. Especially, "Sogno do Doretta" is very beautiful with the high voice of soprano. I want to hear it over and over again.I'm just starting to practice this song and I love it.現代の衣装で、親しみ易いと感じました。特に”Sogno do Doretta”は、ソプラノの高い声が無理無く出ていて、とても美しいです。繰り返し繰り返し聞いていたいほどです。私は、今この曲を練習し始めたばかりですが、大好きになりました。

Cette version comme cela est unique... Je ne sais pas vraiment dans combines de temps cela vas se Reproduire... MERCI du fond du coeur!

Incredible performance by Bakanova and Maggio Musicale Orchestra. I was there playing in the orchestra and the bells at the end. What an amazing night

edizione orrenda voci bruttissime e tecnica assente

My apologies. I have never posted on other youtube posts and here I can't seem to stop. Please feel free to dump my posts if you grow weary of them and hopefully this is the last. First to Puccini's supposed grandson. If true, that is a special connection and you are fortunate, as are we who regularly chat with him through his music and drama. Comments were made about the singing in this production. I think the age of the LP created a distorted notion about opera singers as we, with no visuals, obsessed over finding the 'perfect' voice. LPs lie to us because the sound is engineered - with all the best intentions. If anyone wants to provide me with front and center orchestra seats to any production, I would be happy to share my thoughts on the vocal qualities, but even then I wouldn't guarantee its objectivity. I did listen to the Moffo Rondine, and granted it was heavenly singing. However my beef with Rondine from my very first hearing was it's sweetness, (overdressed,1980s, live, studio, TV production) causing me to dismiss it for being 'saccharine'. For me the studio Moffo recording was too sweet - beautifully sung, a joy to listen to including the tenor as music, but too sweet for the sake of the opera. Last night I listened to another production that was also beautifully sung, but particularly in the last act, the singing/acting was life and death like out of Tosca. Again wonderful performances, but poor Rondine suffered in a different way. I heard that in one version of Rondine one of the leads was killed off in order to make the opera more 'authentic'. No, no, no! What do I know, but it seems that Rondine is the perfect verismo opera because no one is killed - now that's what I call authentic to most lives, thankfully, most of the time. And yet, Puccini is able to give us a meaningful and intimate glimpse of the hopes and dreams of somewhat ordinary people. The magic of this Bakanova/Desole production is that the characters are fully realized and the performances strikingly honest, neither too sweet in the romancing nor too tragic during the break up. True verismo. I think that's what Puccini was about with Rondine. Until this production, I was missing out on its greatness and now I savor every note. Great performances here! Thanks for keeping it real and making me a convert!

Брава!!! Замечательно!

Nemůžu si pomoci, je to slabé ve srovnání s nastudováním La Rondine (Vlaštovky) s Metropolitní operou. Jekaterina Bakanova je výborná zpěvačka, ale na Anghelu Gheorghiu v tomto případě nemá. Ostatní zpěváci jsou výrazně pozadu, scéna velice laciná, zrovna tak choreografie, sbor příliš stoický, hudba postrádá lepší akustiku. Na to, že to je předvedeno ve Florencii, tedy v Itálii, od Italů dosti slabé.

Pas de paroles... J'adore ce rôle de cet opéra par vous... Vous incarnez Violetta comme personnes à nos jours... Dernière fois j'ai pleuré en écoutant Theresa Stratas et la C'est VOUS ! .... Bravissima Ekaterina!!

Giacomo Puccini is my great great grandad - all love ♥️

I just tuned in for another listen to your Rondine one year later and it contnues to astound. Better yet, because of what I'm hearing musically in this production, I'm now hearing Puccini's other, more familiar operas with new ears. Beyond his amazing ability to render a story musically and make it universally appreciated, I'm now hearing the genius and complexity of his orchestration, thanks to this opera and your performance that so moved me. I'm 74, what a gift to have this second blooming of Puccini at this point in my life.