{"product_id":"barstow-josephine-opera-finales-0028943020329","title":"Opera Finales","description":"The programme begins with the fearful, edgy hush of Salome's listening: the weird dripping blackness and the pecking of exposed nerves are taut, intent presences here. The strained senses, the fright and excitement, sensuality and (in ''geheimnisvolle Musik'') a soft, girlish hugging to herself of a private inner world, are all caught in the great expressive range of Barstow's tones. The flesh creeps horridly in darkness at ''ich habe deinen Mund gekusst'', the residual little-girlishness recoiling at the bitter taste of dead lips, the grown woman reasserting herself with contemptuous power before the culminative affirmation. nn Puccini's sketches for the final scene of the opera he did not live to finish were worked upon by Franco Alfano, whose version was reduced by about a third for the premiere in 1926 and never heard in its true form till 1982. The full version makes much better sense of Turandot's 'conversion', and much better music of the finale: a richer fabric of sound altogether, with Waltonian trumpets, splendid harmonies and exactly that touch of new inspiration which the bare blare of the famous tune in the normally performed score conspicuously lacks.n In addition there is a first-rate performance of the The Makropulos Affair scene, possibly the part in which this versatile artist is most at home and best suited. The Medee needs a fuller voice, yet there are remarkable passages here toothe great cry of ''Arrete'' for instance, and the irony of ''Va, fidele epoux''. In the last bars of all, the farewell to Jason (''See you in Hell''), one can hardly fail to sense the price exacted of the voice: and indeed the whole programme here is a fearsome one. Among the other singers who bear a small part of the burden mention should be made of Graham Clark, a vivid, incisive Herod","brand":"Polygram Records","offers":[{"title":"Used - good","offer_id":53209326747990,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0925\/5829\/5382\/files\/product_image_0028943020329_1.jpg?v=1781251143","url":"https:\/\/www.momoxbooks.com\/products\/barstow-josephine-opera-finales-0028943020329","provider":"momoxbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}