Listmania!
My favourite English Operas and Operas in English
Purcell - Dido & Aeneas / Gens, Marin-Degor, Brua, Berg, Les Arts Florissants, ChristiePurcell - Dido & Aeneas / Gens, Marin-Degor, Brua, Berg, Les Arts Florissants, Christie
Buy new: £7.49 / Used from: £7.00
This is undoubtedly the best recording of this remarkable opera available. You'll want John Blow's beautiful "Venus and Adonis" as well (B00008LJF1).
Handel: Julius CaesarHandel: Julius Caesar
Buy new: £17.73 / Used from: £8.99
Handel's greatest opera, "Julius Caesar in Egypt", sung in English. One may regret the hooting and bleating presence of the talentless James Bowman, but the rest of the cast are marvellous.
Handel: Semele /Burrowes · Kwella · Priday · D Jones · Denley · Penrose · Rolfe Johnson · M Davies · Lloyd · D Thomas · English Baroque Soloists · GardinerHandel: Semele /Burrowes · Kwella · Priday · D Jones · Denley · Penrose · Rolfe Johnson · M Davies · Lloyd · D Thomas · English Baroque Soloists · Gardiner by George Frideric Handel
Buy new: £12.95 / Used from: £11.19
Try "Saul" as well (B000A169OA).
Handel - HerculesHandel - Hercules
Buy new: £34.09 / Used from: £19.99
An astounding recording and drama in all respects. Try "Belshazzar" also (B000000S8D).
Lampe: Pyramus and ThisbeLampe: Pyramus and Thisbe
Buy used from: £11.99
A mock opera. You may also be interested in Pepusch's "Beggar's Opera" (B000002ZR9), Dibdin's "Ephesian Matron" (B000002ZRO), Bray's "Indian Princess" & Taylor's "Ethiop" (B0000030FC).
Arne: Artaxerxes (English Orpheus Vol 33) /Robson · Partridge · Spence · Edgar-Wilson · Bott · Hyde · Parley of Instruments · GoodmanArne: Artaxerxes (English Orpheus Vol 33) /Robson · Partridge · Spence · Edgar-Wilson · Bott · Hyde · Parley of Instruments · Goodman by Thomas Arne
Buy used from: £38.05
Sensational. Try "Alfred" too (B00002062H).
Mozart: The Abduction from the SeraglioMozart: The Abduction from the Seraglio by David Kelsey
Buy new: £17.99 / Used from: £12.99
Try "Women are like that" too (B00000C3Q0/B00009EJEY).
Beethoven: FidelioBeethoven: Fidelio
Buy new: £17.99 / Used from: £11.75
Wonderful.
Rossini - The Barber of Seville [Opera in English]Rossini - The Barber of Seville [Opera in English]
Buy new: £17.99 / Used from: £13.00
A marvellous recording. Try Donizetti's "The Elixir of Love" too (B00000K2FF).
Les TroyensLes Troyens by Hector Berlioz
Buy new: £17.99
Offenbach: Robinson CrusoeOffenbach: Robinson Crusoe
Offenbach in English! You might also be interested in Sullivan's "Ivanhoe", an attempt at grand opera which I think is poor (B000000WWK).
Wagner: The Goodall Ring Cycle [ENGLISH LANGUAGE]Wagner: The Goodall Ring Cycle [ENGLISH LANGUAGE] by English National Opera Orchestra and Chorus
Buy new: £123.99 / Used from: £90.00
Apparently the English libretto is an improvement on the German original.
Puccini: Tosca (in English)Puccini: Tosca (in English)
Buy new: £17.99 / Used from: £9.48
Elgar: Caractacus/Enigma VariationsElgar: Caractacus/Enigma Variations
Buy new: £6.99 / Used from: £4.99
A wonderful dramatic cantata for chrous and soloists recounting a tale set in Britain during the Roman era. Try Delius' "The Magic Fountain" (B000024MQ2) and Smyth's "The Wreckers" (B0000024E1) too.
Holst: SavitriHolst: Savitri
Buy new: £4.99 / Used from: £3.50
Beautiful and unique. You won't have heard anything like it before. (And why are we are still awaiting recordings of "Sita" and "The Perfect Fool"?!).
Boughton: The Immortal HourBoughton: The Immortal Hour
Buy new: £9.93 / Used from: £21.18
SPELLBINDING! My Gran remembers it fondly. Now, where are his other operas - "Alkestis", "The Queen of Cornwall", and the five operas of his Arthurian Cycle?
Vaughan Williams: Sir John in LoveVaughan Williams: Sir John in Love
Buy new: £6.99 / Used from: £4.99
A ravishing and buoyant score and great comedy! Try Holst's chamber operas "The Wandering Scholar" & "At the Boar's Head" (B000025XN0) and VW's chamber opera "Riders the Sea" as well (B00000DOCY).
Olympians: Complete OperaOlympians: Complete Opera by Bliss
Buy used from: £37.23
A new recoridng of this fabulous opera (its libretto supplied by J B Priestley) is long overdue.
Lennox Berkeley: A Dinner EngagementLennox Berkeley: A Dinner Engagement
Buy new: £12.99
Witty libretto and music to match! Try Walton's "The Bear" (B000000ATW/B00004YU8J) and Steven's "The Shadow of the Glen" as well (B00005ABNH).
Walton: Troilus and CressidaWalton: Troilus and Cressida
Buy new: £29.99 / Used from: £12.74
A wonderfully scored opera in Mediterranean/Romantic mould.
Beatrice CenciBeatrice Cenci by berthold Goldschmidt
Buy used from: £8.96
(Also available as B000002AY2/B0000262JK). Excellent recording, setting, soloists and a shocking and disturbing account of the Cencis. Try Ward's "The Crucible" (B0000049L5) as well.
Copland: The Tender LandCopland: The Tender Land
Buy used from: £17.99
A lovely opera. Try Floyd's "Susannah" (B000002SQB) too.
Weill - Street SceneWeill - Street Scene
Buy used from: £46.37
A great American opera. Try Blitzstein's "Regina" (B00000E4YQ) and Previn's "A Streetcar Named Desire" (B00000G3XH) too.
Alwyn: Miss JulieAlwyn: Miss Julie
Buy new: £23.99 / Used from: £9.98
A superb adaptation of a Strindberg play. Sadly no longer available.
Prokofiev: The Love for Three OrangesProkofiev: The Love for Three Oranges
Buy new: £25.99
It's great to have recording sung in English - how about a DVD too?! Try Dove's "Flight" as well (B0001XLVXG).