[COMPLETE] Tannhäuser by Richard Wagner - icequeen

alanmapstone · Post by **alanmapstone** » August 4th, 2022, 12:09 pm

KevinS wrote: ↑August 4th, 2022, 12:11 am I don't often listen to Wagner, even knowing that I should, but hearing this text will send me to look for my CDs of his work.

I have been a Wagner devotee since my 20s, even visiting the Wagner Festival at Bayreuth in Germany, which has something of the atmosphere of a pilgrimage site.

Tannhäuser is actually one of my least favourite of his operas but I am enjoying reading this poem as it tells the story so well and keeps close to the German libretto.

KevinS · Post by **KevinS** » August 4th, 2022, 12:45 pm

I'm always amused when I read about the value of Wagner's operatic music - without the words!

KevinS · Post by **KevinS** » August 5th, 2022, 11:38 am

Sections 12, 13, and 14 PL OK!

alanmapstone · Post by **alanmapstone** » August 5th, 2022, 12:54 pm

KevinS wrote: ↑August 5th, 2022, 11:38 am Sections 12, 13, and 14 PL OK!

Great!! Thanks Kevin

KevinS · Post by **KevinS** » August 5th, 2022, 2:52 pm

Sections 15 and 16 PL OK!

I have been following the text and ignoring the slight diversions from the text that make no matter. For instance, in Section 16 you read 'night and day' whereas the text is actually 'day and night.' I didn't feel this once worthwhile to point out except as an example of the minor differences I have heard.

alanmapstone · Post by **alanmapstone** » August 6th, 2022, 9:36 am

KevinS wrote: ↑August 5th, 2022, 2:52 pm Sections 15 and 16 PL OK!
I have been following the text and ignoring the slight diversions from the text that make no matter. For instance, in Section 16 you read 'night and day' whereas the text is actually 'day and night.' I didn't feel this once worthwhile to point out except as an example of the minor differences I have heard.

Fantastic job, Kevin. You have put in a lot of time on this and are now all caught up

I agree with your guidelines for the level of PL. When editing I correct significant errors but not minor ones.

Section 11 is now Ready for PL! (The longest so far)

alanmapstone · Post by **alanmapstone** » August 8th, 2022, 8:58 am

Section 17 is Ready for PL!

alanmapstone · Post by **alanmapstone** » August 9th, 2022, 12:25 am

Section 18 is Ready for PL!

alanmapstone · Post by **alanmapstone** » August 9th, 2022, 6:08 am

Sections 19 & 20 are also now Ready for PL!

KevinS · Post by **KevinS** » August 9th, 2022, 9:52 am

alanmapstone wrote: ↑August 6th, 2022, 9:36 am Section 11 is now Ready for PL! (The longest so far)

PL OK! though I would point out three small items for your consideration.

At 0:22 one hears the sliding of the mic or some other object. It's a little distracting as this kind of background noise is not heard elsewhere.

I'm afraid I did not note the time for this as I did not think much of it, but you later pronounce 'hail' in the English. The first occasion is the German 'heil,' which fits the German nature of the text but is not in the text.

Also, I have not heard this elsewhere in your recordings, and it is not a real concern, but there is a slight, slight ticking sound throughout this section at many of the line breaks. My volume was up a little more than usual, so maybe it stands out in my ear only, but I think you might want to listen for it.

EDIT: I have opened the recording in Audacity and have found an instance of this ticking sound for you to consider. It is at 3:43.4. If you wished, you could use the noise reduction effect on it and clean the whole section. Still, I only mention this and feel that I am being hypercritical (but, believe me, with no malice.)

KevinS · Post by **KevinS** » August 9th, 2022, 10:02 am

alanmapstone wrote: ↑August 8th, 2022, 8:58 am Section 17 is Ready for PL!

PL OK!

Much less 'ticking' here. I just can't place the sound. You're not using a sound-activated mic, are you?

I hate to make too much of this, or anything at all. It's just that it's hard for me not to hear now.

alanmapstone · Post by **alanmapstone** » August 9th, 2022, 11:48 am

KevinS wrote: ↑August 9th, 2022, 9:52 am
alanmapstone wrote: ↑August 6th, 2022, 9:36 am Section 11 is now Ready for PL! (The longest so far)
PL OK! though I would point out three small items for your consideration.
At 0:22 one hears the sliding of the mic or some other object. It's a little distracting as this kind of background noise is not heard elsewhere.
I'm afraid I did not note the time for this as I did not think much of it, but you later pronounce 'hail' in the English. The first occasion is the German 'heil,' which fits the German nature of the text but is not in the text.
Also, I have not heard this elsewhere in your recordings, and it is not a real concern, but there is a slight, slight ticking sound throughout this section at many of the line breaks. My volume was up a little more than usual, so maybe it stands out in my ear only, but I think you might want to listen for it.
EDIT: I have opened the recording in Audacity and have found an instance of this ticking sound for you to consider. It is at 3:43.4. If you wished, you could use the noise reduction effect on it and clean the whole section. Still, I only mention this and feel that I am being hypercritical (but, believe me, with no malice.)

Hi Kevin
Thanks for the detailed analysis, which I do appreciate

I can hear the noise at 0.22 but I may need to rerecord the line as I don't think it will noise clean. I have no idea what it might be. I often fail to hear noises that others can as my hearing is deteriorating as I get older, I should probably use a hearing aid

The Heil is probably due to my familiarity with the opera where the line Landgrave Herrmann Heil! is positively shouted by the chorus. It just seemed right in context but perhaps it should be made consistent with the other times I say Hail!

I think the ticking sounds are the remnants of breath marks that I have not properly cleaned out. I find that when recording this poem that I need to take a deep breath at the beginning of each line. These audible breath marks I then remove manually as I don't find they come out with noise reduction. As this is a longer section than most I may have been less thorough in doing this. I will need to be more careful in future. The mark you timestamped is a breath mark not properly cleaned out.

Leave it as it is for now and I will decide what to do

KevinS · Post by **KevinS** » August 9th, 2022, 3:48 pm

You experience is much the same with me. I'm slowly adjusting to it. My shortness of breath is coming on more quickly than I had hoped, but I'm pretty good at cleaning that up now.

You're doing a great job with this. I hope you'll find more libretti to record. (Some Italian opera would be nice. My preference. Haha!)

alanmapstone · Post by **alanmapstone** » August 9th, 2022, 7:12 pm

KevinS wrote: ↑August 9th, 2022, 3:48 pm I hope you'll find more libretti to record. (Some Italian opera would be nice. My preference. Haha!)

LV has recorded some Italian Opera libretti in English translation usually as Dramatic Works. I have taken roles in La Bohème and Don Giovanni, and also in the two plays by Beaumarchais on which The Marriage of Figaro and The Barber of Seville are based.
Also several Gilbert and Sullivan works, if you count that as opera.
In my younger days I sang in a lot of opera choruses as well as G&S works

KevinS · Post by **KevinS** » August 9th, 2022, 8:08 pm

alanmapstone wrote: ↑August 9th, 2022, 7:12 pm
KevinS wrote: ↑August 9th, 2022, 3:48 pm I hope you'll find more libretti to record. (Some Italian opera would be nice. My preference. Haha!)
LV has recorded some Italian Opera libretti in English translation usually as Dramatic Works. I have taken roles in La Bohème and Don Giovanni, and also in the two plays by Beaumarchais on which The Marriage of Figaro and The Barber of Seville are based.
Also several Gilbert and Sullivan works, if you count that as opera.
In my younger days I sang in a lot of opera choruses as well as G&S works

Gilbert and Sullivan are/is fun.

Glad to hear about La Bohème. I'll have a look and listen.