Mozart is such a concentration killer!
I was planning to have some reading, but due to the sudden appearance of "Per queste tue manine", a piece of treasure hidden behind most recordings, my mind was trapped and the original plan was completely ruined--That's why now I'm writing a new post, to complain of course.
I was planning to have some reading, but due to the sudden appearance of "Per queste tue manine", a piece of treasure hidden behind most recordings, my mind was trapped and the original plan was completely ruined--That's why now I'm writing a new post, to complain of course.
As my Don Giovanni Fest goes, I've played this opera for so many times that almost every single phrase had been engraved in my heart. So I was surprised when a never-been-heard brisky leading melody jumped out at where Donna Elvira would appear with "In quali eccessi o numi Mi tradi". Then I looked up its title, couldn't recall. That was an unknown piece for sure. Although afterwards, I realised that this duetto was also included in few others' performances such as Gardiner's 1994 and Jacobs' 2006 recordings, it was Solti's 1978 recording brought it to my attention. Maybe I was in a lossy mood so that I could notice something different. Anyway, I feel so unfair for it. How could people decide to omit it while the piece itself is so beautiful and charming (I agree it's not well connected to others dramatically)?!
Together with "O statua gentilissima" and "Ah! Chi mi dice mai", now I add "Per queste tue manine" so they are my top three favourites from Don Giovanni. Also, as I said in the beginning. This duetto is so pretty that I kept telling myself "Only one more time, I'll stop and do my things", yet I simply kept failing mercilessly.
↓ The damn great spell that got me intoxicated for the whole night!
*:--☆--:*:--☆--:*:--☆--:*:--☆--:*:--☆--:*:--☆--:*
Bringing the topic about Don Giovanni again, I remember I read a few days ago from an opera guidebook. The author said Mozart might not be the best choice for opera beginners due to the complexity in terms of musical composition or this or that, regardless the beaufitul melody. That's ridiculous! Melody is the pith of music. If the melody isn't beautiful, people might drop halfway, especially for beginners (I know someone who escaped from even Vivaldi's catchy "Four Seasons"!). I doubt that a person who knows no classical music would enjoy Mahler or Bruckner or Schoenberg instead of Mozart (obviously I'm biased, since the formar two are quite dull to me and the third is nothing but being worse!). Or, is the author expecting a beginner could act like a scholar who can analyse the entire piece--giving that the author's recommendations are based on so much aspects!
Also from another book (another classical music guidebook or that sort), the author claimed speaking of classical music, most people would link to romantic era that they listen with care, while Bach and Mozart's works are mostly used as daily life BGM. Again I doubt about it. My case is at the opposite side. Like what happened tonight, Mozart ate up my night time. Yet I could leave Liszt's transcendental etudes flowing as my "working BGM" (I'm NOT negative, I do love Liszt, although not of most).
In conclusion, those so-called guidebooks are merely references. You might get insights after a quick browse, but don't rely on and fully trust them. After all, the authors are humans too, and of no time, humans can be free of biases. At last, I'm glad that I didn't read any of such years ago--when I just dabbled in the world of classical music.