Massenet: Le Roi de Lahore Vancouver 1977 Sutherland Stevens Opthof Tourangeau Bonynge BETTER SOUND2

Dear everyone,
I had to re-upload this video because my dumbass made a huge editing screw up 7 months ago on the original video that I didn't catch. I was only made aware of my mistake a few hours ago. This re-upload is no longer missing the end of Act 4. The original video has been privated. I wanted to apologize to you all about my editing huge editing mistake 😢
- Apologies, Akai
Description from original vid:
*Thank you to Andero for providing one of the photos for this video!*
The date of this recording is September 23rd 1977. This is opening night. Le Roi de Lahore is a beautiful opera that is unfortunately rarely performed. I feel as if no modern performance of this opera would match this performance as no one could match Joan as Sita. The tempos here are a bit slower than the 1979 studio recording (those 2 years allowed Bonynge to adjust his tempos.) Thankfully there were no pitch issues. I've greatly improved the sound quality; it is much brighter and clearer and is no longer muffled. There is hiss, mostly due to the person recording this had the levels too low. Personally, I don't mind it. Listen past it.
Enjoy!
Here is some more info:
seattleopera50.com/?photo=le-...
Cast:
Alim: Ronald Stevens
Sita: Joan Sutherland
Scindia: Cornelius Opthof
Indra: Spiro Malas
Timour: James Morris
Kaled: Huguette Tourangeau
Army Chief: Ray Nurse
Conductor: Richard Bonynge

[@ahogbin2644]

Thanks so much for posting this. One knew the commercial recording of course but this is SO much more vivid. Sutherland in sumptuous voice. I also like Opthof; firmer of voice than Milnes in fact. Following with my old score, it seems that Bonynge made quite a number of cuts to account for modern attention spans I suppose. The splendid big aria at the beginning of Act IV was added for Italy and Bonynge included it here to expand Sita's role. I was lucky to encounter this wonderful opera at the Fenice some years ago and it still impresses. It was Massenet's first big success but there are shades of Meyerbeer and Gounod here.

[@wotan10950]

Thank you! It’s a beguiling score and, of course, everyone is clicking to hear Sutherland. But have a listen to Tourangeau’s bolero 56:00; it’s memorable.

[@alfvillanueva]

Thanks as ever for your generosity !!!

[@williamslater5024]

Thanks....it sounds great to me! I appreciate it

[@lahire22]

Оpera revival! lovely! Thanks Massenet, Joan, Richard, all cast, Akai, internet

[@crisha721]

2:18:51 Great switch from head voice to chest register. Her chest notes sounded very loud.

[@markbeck8384]

I love this music, and I think the story is unusual and cool. I have a DVD of this; but it is not so good; I would love to see some other Opera company take a stab at this! Of course, it would be hard to equal this cast.

[@AkaiGX]

There actually has been a stab at it earlier this year! www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jul/30/le-roi-de-lahore-review-rare-staging-of-massenets-sumptuous-grand-opera kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3-UdYV-ZqiLoKcsi=IbCqq4Vodjm52pQh