I'm listening to Mozart's El Nozze di Figaro in pieces - one act at a time. I suppose it's an odd way to take in an opera, but it seems to work for me. I'm at the halfway point and thoroughly enjoying the experience. It helps that the version I'm listening to, featuring the English Baroque Soloists conducted by John Eliot Gardiner, is so clear, vibrant and dynamic in every way. The details leap out at you.
So when the applause breaks out at the end of each act, it comes as a bit of a surprise. The sound has been so perfectly slick, so wonderfully balanced, that a novice listener like myself tends to assume it's a studio recording and the fact it isn't is a powerful reminder of the level of excellence these musicians are routinely capable of.
It's a privilege to listen.
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