Richard Wagner: Siegfried

Siegfried, opera, WWV 86c
Composed by Richard Wagner
Performed by Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
with Norma Sharp, Manfred Jung, Patrice Chereau, Heinz Zednik, Ortrun Wenkel, Donald McIntyre, Hermann Becht, Dame Gwyneth Jones, Fritz Hubner
Conducted by Pierre Boulez

Richard Wagner: Siegfried,Richard Wagner,Pierre Boulez,Bayreuther Festspiele Orchester,Heinz Zednik,Dame Gwyneth Jones,Donald McIntyre,Fritz Hubner,Hermann Becht,Manfred Jung,Norma Sharp,Ortrun Wenkel,Polygram Records,Classical,Classical Music,German/Austrian Romantic Opera,Opera,Opera / Operetta / Oratorio

Twilight of the Gods: The Essential Wagner Collection

Average customer rating:

Wonderful collection and price!
Awesome collection!
Helicopters? Marines?
A great addition to my music collection
Quintessential Wagner

Twilight of the Gods: The Essential Wagner Collection

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Wagner: Overture & Preludes
The Best Of Wagner
Wagner: The "Ring" Without Words
Wagner without Words
25 Thunderous Classics

ASIN: B000009ON7
Release Date: 1998-08-11

Tracks:

The Valkyries: Ride Of The Valkyries
Twilight Of The Gods: Siegfried's Funeral March
Lohengrin: Prelude to Act III
The Flying Dutchman: Overture
The Flying Dutchman: Sailors' Chorus
The Rheingold: Journey Down To Nibelheim
The Mastersingers Of Nuremberg: Overture
Tannhauser: Overture
Tannhauser: Entry Of The Guests
Tannhauser: Tannhauser's Pilgrimage
Siegfried: Act III Orchestral Interlude
Twilight Of The Gods: Siegfried's Rhine Journey
Twilight Of The Gods: Finale
The Rheingold: Entry Of The Gods Into Valhalla

Tracks:

Lohengrin: Prelude To Act I
Lohengrin: Bridal Chorus
Parsifal: Prelude to Act I
Parsifal: Good Friday Music
Parsifal: Transformation Scene
Tannhauser: Venusberg Music
Tannhauser: Pilgrims Chorus
The Mastersingers Of Nuremburg: Prelude To Act III
The Rheingold: Vision Of Valhalla (Scene II Introduction)
Siegfried Idyll
Siegfried: Brunnhildes Awakening
Tristan And Isolde: Prelude To Act III
Tristan And Isolde: Death Of Isolde

Amazon.com

If you like your Wagner served up in bleeding chunks or if you're simply in a hurry to hear the tunes, then this compilation is for you. The performances, drawn from the Polygram (mainly Deutsche Grammophon) back catalog, are for the most part authoritative. They feature the likes of Herbert von Karajan, with the Berlin Philharmonic, and Karl Böhm, with the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra (and chorus), in extracts from recordings of complete operas, and conductors Giuseppe Sinopoli, Otto Gerdes, and Antal Doráti in some of the more familiar overtures and preludes. Singing, without which it is impossible to get the full flavor of Wagner's work, is skirted whenever possible: this is an unapologetic tribute to Wagner the orchestral genius. At times the salesmanship is a little overblown--the glitzy packaging includes a cover shot of the helicopters from Apocalypse Now--and the sound, some of it from very good originals, seems to have been juiced with a little added digital reverb, resulting in an overall glassiness. The gaps between tracks are minimized, disco style, so there's no dead air, and the whole thing has an Entertainment Tonight feel to it. Were he around, Wagner would have screamed bloody murder, then happily taken his cut of the action. For today's on-the-go listener, this may well be the most practical way to enjoy Wagner's music, but we won't be happy until it motivates at least one newcomer to seek out a recording of a complete opera. Anyone who does that will find out what "apocalypse" really means. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful collection and price!.......2007-05-11

I found this to be a nice collection of favorites, especially to keep in the car and listen to. It is a variety of well known compilations. Although not encompassing, it is perfect as a review for driving, relaxing, and enjoyment. Plus, the price is right!

Awesome collection!.......2007-01-10

This is a great collection of some of Wagner's most memorable songs for those of you who do not want to buy the whole opera's for some of his works.

Helicopters? Marines?.......2006-12-05

Do those infotainment marketing mavens ever get it right? Talk about Hollywood disconnect! Not only are the helicopters irrelevant, but to quote from the gushy drivel on the jacket, "The gripping power of Richard Wagner's music was demonstrated with spectacular effect in...Apocalpse Now, when the "Ride of the Valkyries' became synonymous with the chilling journey of Marine 'Huey' helicopters into battle..."

Marine? Marine? Them Hueys in the movie was ARMY Air Cav, slick! "First of the ninth--air mobile." If you're going to dally down that primrose path, at least get it right.

Better yet, drop the choppers. Most people who listen to Wagner probably realize that quality of an artistic work has a mystically inverse relationship to the number of helicopters contained in it.

As for the music, it is good, but the operatic equivalent of sound bites, which may be just right for people who are new to Wagner or just can't take very much of him. Hmm...perfect for a helicopter ride, perhaps?

A great addition to my music collection.......2006-07-20

This CD takes the place of all my other Wagner music. VERY well done. Somehow I didn't realize that there were two cds in the package--what a pleasant surprise! Of the two cds, I like the first one best, but they are both good. I listen to this cd daily on my way to work. Stirring! I am so glad that I purchased this. Some purists might have a problem with the fact that some of the selections are not there in their entirety. I have no problem with that though. I recommend this to anyone who loves Wagner.

Quintessential Wagner.......2006-05-15

Okay, so I like Wagner. I LOVE "Ride Of The Valkyries". Do I want to go out and buy every single stinkin thing Wagner did? No. If you are a die-hard Wagner fan you probably will not think much of this collection.

But if you like Wagner and appreciate "Ride Of The Valkyries", and maybe require it in just a little more substance than what is included in "Apocolypse Now Redux", then this is what you want. The extra tracks are bonuses and are quite good. Meets my needs, presentation great, performance excellent. I recommend it for anyone that needs a Wagner fix.

Average customer rating:

A "SIEGFRIED" for the AGES from a "RING for the AGES"
Part 3 of the Definitive Ring
None Better!
AN EPIC RING - PART III
Excellent Work - Limited Appeal

Wagner: Siegfried

Manufacturer: Testament UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000E4FI54
Release Date: 2006-04-11

Amazon.com

This live-from-Bayreuth 1955 Siegfried, in stereo, was professionally recorded by Decca's engineers as part of what was to be the first full Ring Cycle on records. Contractual disputes and producer John Culshaw's desire to produce an "ideal" Ring in the studio killed the release of this Ring, and the tapes were locked away in some dark chamber until now. The result is breathtaking: Hotter, Windgassen (playing his first Siegfried), Neidlinger (as Alberich), and Varnay at their best, with Joseph Keilberth at the helm. Keilberth was not one for "interpretation" or anything other than telling a good story with drama, fine pacing, and musical accuracy. His tempi are invariably quick without ever being rushed, and he has some of Böhm's intensity, some of Solti's visceral excitement, and some of Furtwängler's grandeur, while at the same time presenting a Siegfried that is very much its own. I'm not certain that this is the "best" performance of this opera, but if it were the only one you owned, it would be enough. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

A "SIEGFRIED" for the AGES from a "RING for the AGES".......2007-06-20

This recording of Wagner's "SIEGFRIED" recorded live at Bayreuth in 1955 is a TRUE masterpiece, a testament to the heights that can be reached when "everyone works together" for the sake of the "art" itself, not self-aggrandisement (which we have today, generally). Every aspect of this recording pales every other! It immediately, and solidly, goes to the top of the list of "SIEGFRIED" choices on disc. As do the remaining three operas, also recorded at the same time, by the same cast, that make up the "Ring".

Going back over the decades of my life, I remember when you only had one choice for a "Ring"...Solti/Decca, and that was it.

Then, there came the von Karajan, and then the Bohm/Bayreuth. Then, there seemed to be a mini-explosion of "Rings" over the following years, so many that it became/becomes staggering to think about!

Two statements:
1) If you are NEW to Wagner's "Ring" do not become confused with all the choices out there. There are really only two live recordings you need consider...the Krauss/Bayreuth, and this one, Keilberth/Bayreuth, and one studio recording to think about, the Solti/Decca set. You may think this excessive, but you NEED all three of these recordings. Period.
2) If you are FAMILIAR with Wagner's "Ring", then, assumably, you want the Best recording of it. I will assume you already have the Solti set, as most people do. The Krauss set you may or may not have. It is a stunner. And, now, the Keilberth....the most awesome recording, in many ways, you will ever experience.

Think: 1955, live, Bayreuth, the Best Wagnerians of their age, assembled together at the behest of Wagner's grandsons, in Wagner's theater, and the best part....recorded in STEREO! By Decca, of all people, before the Solti studio Ring was ever thought about! Why Decca sat on these magnificent recordings just blows my mind.

Luckily for us, Testament acquired the rights to release these timeless recordings, and we now, after 52 years, can marvel at and enjoy these magnificent performances of four of the greatest musical masterpieces ever written, combining to make up the most monumental work ever written for the stage! Enjoy this (set) of Masterpiece Recordings! ~operabruin

Part 3 of the Definitive Ring.......2007-01-29

I have never understood why Siegfried is the stepchild of Ring operas. This score, despite the dark moments involving the schemings of Mime, Alberich, the menace of Fafner and the ambivalent abdication of Wotan, is a joyous, spirited work which celebrates the dawn of a new, uncorrupted world, even though that illusion is shattered in Goetterdaemmerung, largely because Siegfried's freedom from Wotan and his dealings is also illusory. But for the while, we can rejoice in the promise of youth and love. And there is humor, albeit of a rather ironic nature, in the encounters between Siegfried and his pathetically villanous foster-father Miime. Siegfried certainly earns its nickname as the Ring's Scherzo.
Conductor Joseph Keilberth delivers the most exhuberant reading I have ever heard of this score. At first, I found his jarring, as though it did not fit with the character of Rheingold and Walkure, but as he works his way to Act 3 and Wotan's resigned encounter with Erda, the underlying gloom is there, alright, just momentarily supplanted by the courageous young Volsung who has forged his father's sword, gained his identity, and is off to experience the one emotion he has never received from anyone, love. It is impossible to speak of all the great details and character of Keilberth's performance save to say that it tops every other in drive, sensitivity (the Forest Murmurs have to be heard to be believed in their extreme sensitivity)and profundity. This is for me the very peak of great Wagner conducting.
The cast is probasbly the best ever assembled for this work. Windgassen completely surpasses himself; he is more tender and vulnerable than almost any other Siegfried (Max Lorenz is his equal, but no better, and Windgassen makes Melchior sound like a noisy bellower), but in addition, HE REALLY IS A HELDENTENOR HERE! He rings with heroic might in "Nothung! Nothung! Neidliches Schwert!" in Act 1, his musings in Acts 2 and 3 are the very height of gentleness (No Nazi, this Siegfried!) and he is freah and ardent in the great Awakening Scene. For sure, he has never equalled his sheer potency in this role. I am sure he will be at least as great in Goetterdaemmerung.
Hans Hotter completes his role of Wotan, under the guise of Wanderer. He is wise, humorous, resigned in his encounter with Erda in Act 3, but then suddenly reveals Wotan's self-delusions when he reacts aggressively to Siegfried, only to be rudely dismissed when his power is shattered. No other Wotan has ever reached these heights, and Hotter remains THE Wotan of all time, even beating such immortals as Schorr, Schipper, Bockelmann, and Sigurd Bjoerling.
Paul Kuen is really deliciously maliciuos as Mime, especially in his oily, poisonous attempt to kill Siegfried in Act 2; for once, there is no reason to pity this character, he is just SO nasty and slimy. Neidlinger's Alberich, by comparison, has dignity and just grievances against his counterpart Wotan ("Licht-Alberich", after all!). Greindl is frightening as Fafner, giant-turned-dragon, but dies with regret at having murdered his brother Fasolt and now suffering the same fate. Hollweg is an enchanting Forest Bird, almost sounding like a boy treble, as specified by Wagner. Von Illosvay is even more impressive as Erda here than in Rheingold, majestically implacable and outraged at Wotan's hypocrisy.
And then, there is Astrid Varnay.
Flagstad, Nilsson, Moedl, Leider, move over! ASTRID RULES!
Has there ever been as radiant a "Heil dir, Sonne!" as Varnay's? NO! She is perfection itself. From proud goddess to a woman fearful of human emotions to ardent lover, she is right there at every moment. How she could have been so unappreicated in America is appalling to me. She is truly the great Hochdramatische!
The sound is if anything even more impressive than in the previous two operss. Culshaw should be resurrected and hung byt he you-=know-whats for keeping this from the public ofr so many years.
No doubt about it, BAYREUTH, KEILBERTH, WINDGASSEN, HOTTER AND VARNAY RULE FOREVER!

None Better!.......2007-01-20

Rarely do new releases live up to the hype, but in this case the buzz about the Testament releases of the live stereo Bayreuth recordings from the mid and early 1950s of Wagner's Ring operas was absolutely accurate. Windgassen was considered by some to be a little light-voiced for a true heldentenor, but he more than compensates for any possible lack of vocal heft with his artistry and musicality. And here he is in his prime, and unlike his later recording of Siegfried a decade later, his voice has lost none of its flexibility.
Hans Hotter is perhaps the greatest Wagnerian baritone of the 20th century. Others may have had darker or richer natural voices, but few have had voices with more character and none sang with greater artistry. And Astrid Varnay is nothing short of a revelation. She sings with a fiery richness, with almost a mezzo-soprano timbre, that makes her singing, particularly her final duet with Windgassen, simply electrifying. Interestingly enough, although all three sang at the Met, neither Windgassen nor Hotter had much of a Met career, and Varnay was essentially forced out of regular Met appearances--all because Rudolph Bing didn't like any of them. (What WAS he thinking of! This is probably the best cast for Siegfried assembled in the last 60 years!)
The smaller parts are also well sung, and the orchestra plays with a richness of tone and directness of purpose that is quite refreshing when compared to some other, more self-indulgent, performances. The sound quality is quite good--and is positively remarkable for a live stereo recording in 1955. The price is a little scary, but the recording is available for less from the other sellers on Amazon. It is worth it.

AN EPIC RING - PART III.......2007-01-14

Ten years is a long time in the life of any singer but especially a Wagnerian singer. Comparing this recording with the wonderful Solti recording proves this. Hotter is magnificent here in 1955 and is stressed to the limits for Solti in the 60s. Windgassen is wonderfully lyric and even sweet and fresh in 1955. He's leathery and a bit pushed for Solti; maybe even a bit tight and tired sounding. This wonderful Bayreuth cast owned the Ring at this theater in the 50s; a true GOLDEN ERA @ Bayreuth. Don't miss them or any of their colleagues! The sound just keeps getting better with each successive opera as well as the conducting. Varnay is simply one of the GREAT BRUNNHILDES - right up there with Leider, Flagstad and Traubel. She is Brunnhilde musically and dramatically at one with the being. She truly lives every minute. I like her warm full sound. Well I expect great things in GOTTERDAMMERUNG. Again the Bayreuth acoustics with the special orchestra pit make it so easy for the singers to be heard without forcing over the magnificent orchestrations. TRY the 1955 Bayreuth Ring. You won't regret it. If Gotterdammerung sounds this good and is sung and conducted this thrillingly, I wonder if Culshaw was afraid of the competition? This has all signs of being one of THOSE GOLDEN ERA RINGS !!!

Excellent Work - Limited Appeal.......2006-11-06

The recording is surprisingly good for its age. I needed a complete "Ring" so I purchased this recording and will purchase the others in the series from Testament. For those new to opera or those looking for some basic exposure to the popular operas, this opera is perhaps too esoteric containing both subtle and very complex themes. My limited research has labeled this performance as definative and exemplary and I agree. The voices are very good. There is some audience and stage noise, but they are appropriate for the site and time of the recording. This is an opera to study as opposed to one with memorable arias or toe-tapping rhythms.

Average customer rating:

A well-kept secret
Essential Wagner
Excellent Wagner from a surprising source ... or maybe not!
Go For Boult
Memorable and dramatic- A must have for Wagner fans

Wagner: Overtures & Preludes

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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The Best Of Wagner
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Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition

ASIN: B000002S08
Release Date: 1992-09-29

Tracks:

Tannher: Overture
Tannher: Grand March
Der Fliegende Holler: Overture
Tristan und Isolde: Prelude to Act 1
Tristan und Isolde: Prelude to Act 3
Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Overture
Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Prelude to Act 3
Lohengrin: Prelude to Act 1

Tracks:

Lohengrin: Prelude to Act 3
Parsifal: Prelude to Act 1
Parsifal: Act 1 Transformation scene
Parsifal: Prelude to Act 3
Parsifal: Good Friday Music
Das Rheingold: Entrance of the Gods
Die Walkure: Ride of the Walkyries
Siegfried: Forest murmurs
Gotterdammerung: Siegfried's Rhine Journey
Gotterdammerung: Siegfried's Funeral March

Customer Reviews:

A well-kept secret.......2007-05-18

Everyone wants to have a crack at the "bleeding chunks" eventually, and while I love the flashier Stoky and Furtwangler approach, I wouldn't want to be without the Boult. He's a great Wagnerian, strange as it may seem. Who could blame him for not wanting to go down in history merely as the finest Holstian? As long as this stays in print, Ormandy will still be considered the least sexy conductor. (I heard CBS researchers found an Ormandy fan once!)

Essential Wagner.......2006-06-17

As a child, this set was my first experience of Wagner's music, and it made quite an impression on me. However, as I grew older and began to collect the full operas I felt I could surely do better than Adrian Boult and the British for a collection of the preludes, overtures, and orchestral music from the operas. I was wrong. I have yet to here any recordings that can match the power and intensity as demonstrated in these discs from Boult and the LSO (and LPO). The Meistersinger prelude alone is worth the price, and the only version of the prelude to Tristan which outdoes the one here is Bohm's live 1966 Tristan. The Solti, Karajan, and Klemperer highlight discs have their moments (and truthfully, I do prefer Solti and Karajan for the "Ring" highlights), but their contributions are greatest in the full operas, and overall, they simply can't muster the power and intensity that Boult brings to these preludes, overtures, etc.

Even if you have other compilations of Wagner's music in "bleeding chunks", I can assure you they don't come close to this one; and with two discs (the second containing mostly music from Parsifal and the "Ring") at 14 bucks, there is absolutely no excuse not to have this essential recording. So go ahead and buy this disc, never buy another Wagner compilation again, and with the money you save get started on the more important task at hand: the full operas.

Excellent Wagner from a surprising source ... or maybe not!.......2004-09-27

Does Sir Adrian Boult conjure up of images of Gustav Holst and Ralph Vaughn Williams, but not Wagner? You're not alone! Nevertheless, this is a double CD set not to be missed! Many years ago, I was listening to a classical radio music station in NYC that was playing the music of Wagner. The performance was so good, that I wouldn't leave the radio until I found out the name of the conductor. When the announcer said the conductor was Sir Adrian Boult, I was quite surprised. I had recordings of English music from Sir Adrian on Angel/EMI, but I never associated that conductor with Wagner. Having been blessed with a friend who had knowledge of classical music way beyond his years, I gave him a call to find out more about the recording. He told me that, Boult had solid expertise in the area of Germanic music, but, in England, had been overshadowed in that repertoire by Otto Klemperer. He told me not to be surprised about Boult's very fine Wagner, it was an excellent recording to purchase and, indeed, search out Sir Adrian's wonderful performance of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony (now available on Vanguard). Fast-forward many years and I find myself browsing through Amazon for a recording of Wagner's Overtures and Preludes. Like everyone else I know, I foolishly jettisoned my LPs in the 1990s and have been "back-filling" ever since. Well, I was able to obtain this splendid set for less than $7 per CD! There are a total of 18 selections covering most of Wagner's operas including five excerpts from the Ring Cycle. The performances are excellent coming from no less than three British orchestras, and the sound is top-shelf EMI. Sir Adrian's pacing is measured and his vision is broad and sensitive, highlighting the beauty and grandeur --rather than just the fire-- of this glorious music. I heartily recommend this two-CD set, and at this price, I think it's a steal.

Go For Boult.......2003-07-08

Sir Adrian Boult is best known for his recordings of the British repertoire, and his performances, particularly of Holst's "The Planets" and Elgar's Symphonies and Orchestral Works, are legendary. But Boult was also an excellent conductor of Beethoven, Brahms and Wagner, and this 2-CD set collects the Overtures and Preludes of the latter German titan. These stereo recordings from the early to mid-1970s with the New Philharmonia Orchestra, and London Philharmonic and Symphony Orchestras are truly first rate. EMI's set compares nicely in terms of price, quality and musical offerings with competing sets by DG (Bohm, Kubelik, et al) and Sony (Ormandy & Szell). You might have reservations about getting German music conducted by a Brit, but you really can't go wrong with Boult.

Memorable and dramatic- A must have for Wagner fans.......2000-03-20

I bought this cd for the following reasons: 1 I'm a Wagner fan, 2 the cover looks exquisite and 3 I wanted to hear a "prelude" since it sounds fancy and never heard one. The result is great cd. The Tannhauser overture, Tristan and Isolde prelude and Lohengrin Prelude to act 3 are all very excellent. Excerpts from the Ring of the Nibelunge aren't as good as I had anticipated but are still enjoyable. The music speaks the tales of Wagner's operas. Just hear it, as slow and irksome as they maybe, these preludes make you feel the tragic love of Tristan and Isolde, the epic odyssey of Lohengrin and the holy, heavenly spirit in Parsifal as he discovers the Holy Grail. Buy this CD and you won't regret it. Except that one bit from Gotterdammerung, Siegfried's Funeral March. It does'nt quite have the feel of grand disaster as it did in John Boorman's film Excalibur. If you're hoping to find that version(which is better) stick with the Classics Go To The Movies Vol 2 cd. But all the other pieces on this CD are excellent. Go and buy this CD- now !

Average customer rating:

A disappointment
"The Ring without Words" is really "The Ring without Pauses . . . "
The best synthesis of orchestral music from the Ring
Could have been a fun ride, but...
Decent, though not ideal; fulfills the original intent

Wagner: The "Ring" Without Words

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Wagner without Words
Twilight of the Gods: The Essential Wagner Collection
Wagner: Overture & Preludes
Verdi without Words: Grand Opera for Orchestra
The Best Of Wagner

ASIN: B000003CUJ
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Thus, We Begin In The 'Greenish Twilight' Of The Rhine
Float Up To The Home Of The Gods (Entrance Of The Gods Into Valhalla)
Fall Amongst Hammering Dwarfs 'Smithying' Away
Ride Donner's Thunderbolt, Crawl With The Thirst-Crazed Siegmund To The Haven...
In The Sound Code, We 'See' His Loving Gaze
Their Flight
Wotan's Rage
The Cavalcade Of Brde's Sisters, (Ride Of The Valkyries)
Wotan's Farewell To His Favorite Daughter, (Wotan's Farewell And Magic Fire Music)
Mime's Fright
Siegfried's Forging Of The Magic Sword
His Wanderings Through The Forest, (Forest Murmurs)
His Slaying Of The Dragon
The Dragon's Lament
Day Breaking 'Round Sigfried's And Brde's Passion
Siegfried's Rhine Journey, (Dawn And Sigfried's Rhine Journey)
Hagen's Call To His Clan
Siegfried And The Rhinemaidens
His Death And The Funeral Music, (Siegfried's Death And Funeral Music)
Immolation. (Immolation Scene)

Customer Reviews:

A disappointment.......2007-04-20

Being a Wagnerite is sometimes a little difficult. Wagner's music is demanding on practically all levels, and especially demanding to the casual listener. The music can sometimes be too sugary, way overblown, or deceptively muted. This can definitely present problems, and that is why there are those who can detest Wagner's works to the degree that others love it. There is little middle room: Love or hate, Wagner's music is unique...and difficult.

This CD brings out another difficulty: The attempt to tone down Wagner and make his work more generally acceptable. On the good side, this CD is a rather good compilation of some of the Ring's most important melodies. Its symphonic structure allows good flow between the rather disjoint work, and the idea works to a significant degree.

But Maazel's approach is to create a uniformity of interpretation on a work that took more than 20 years to complete. This uniformity saps the Ring of much of its musical strength. The standard pieces are played almost the same as the other selections; little differentiation is evident and as a result only minor aspects of the drama in this incredible music drama are revealed.

While it is possible to play Wagner's music poorly, I always thought it was equally possible to at least grasp its passion. Unfortunately, Maazel's approach proves me to be wrong.

Yes, being a Wagnerite can be very difficult.

"The Ring without Words" is really "The Ring without Pauses . . . ".......2006-07-25

Even Wagner had the good sense to construct his monumental "Ring" Cycle as four distinct operas! So when Loren Maazel got the idea to record a "Ring without Words," what was so important about making it one long movement? No one knew better than Wagner the emotional impact of a well-placed fermata or a crash-bang finale, but this spark of genius seems to have eluded Maazel in his obsession to keep the musical Rhine flowing from beginning to end non-stop for 67 minutes. What seems at first to be a really novel idea starts to break down early on when we begin to anticipate the throbbing final pages of "Das Rheingold," only to discover that for the sake of seamlessness, the whole dramatic passage is skipped over by an awkward leap from Donner's thunder into the depths of "Die Walkure!" Other cuts can be forgiven considering time limitations, although there is still room for ten more minutes of music on the CD. Edo de Vaart gives us something more on his "Ring" recording, since he has no fear of finales. Otherwise, Maazel's handing of the score is quite exciting, and the Vienna Philharmonic is totally responsive to his every gesture. Here's a good idea for some future recording, one I'd certainly buy and which would appeal to thousands of other "Wagnerites" like myself: why not a four-movement "Ring Without Words" across two CDs, with every possible voiceless note from the pen of the Master, one opera after the other?

The best synthesis of orchestral music from the Ring.......2006-07-12

If you're looking for a single CD of orchestral music from Wagner's Ring, I'd like to recommend this one. Here's why.

Wagner's tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen contains some of the most magnificent, most stirring, most imaginative music ever written (along with some that's pedestrian and dull; there are glorious moments, splendid peaks, and there are arid stretches, longeurs that make one wish that Wagner the supreme egotist had submitted his work to the judgment of a good editor). The four operas comprising it are Das Rheingold (1869), Die Walkure (1870), Siegfried (1876), and Gotterdammerung (1876). Taken together they form the towering masterwork and crowning achievement of Wagner's maturity. They are also immensely long: about 17 hours.

The problem has always been to extract the best parts of the Ring for satisfactory concert presentation. The Ring does not make this easy: it contains no conventional overtures or preludes, no conveniently extractable bits. Thus various hands ever since Wagner's day have carved out "bleeding chunks," with mixed results, and the practice has always been controversial.

This CD presents a different approach. In order to make this recording---to quote the Wagner expert in Third Ear: Classical Music: The Listener's Companion (ed. Alexander J. Morin, 2002; an excellent book, by the way)---"Maazel decided to create his own vast symphonic suite from the Ring, and he has toured with it around the world. . . . If you want to hear the best parts of the Ring without sitting down to 17 hours or so, this is your best bet." I agree. Maazel's 70-minute symphonic synthesis of the best music from the Ring has a consistency, an integration and seamless flow, an organic rightness lacking in other Ring orchestral-highlights programs, with their "bleeding chunks" approach. Also, Maazel's suite gives a better idea of the scope and variety of the Ring, of its full range of colors and sonorities, than the standard orchestral excerpts.

Let Maazel describe his priorities in putting his suite together: "I was intrigued by the challenge: could a symphonic synthesis of the Ring reveal the essentials? I bolted the following list of criteria to my drawingboard: One: the synthesis must be free-flowing and chronological, beginning with the first note of Rheingold and finishing with the last chord of Gotterdammerung. Two: the transitions must be harmonically and periodically justifiable, the pacing contrasts commensurate with the length of the work. Three: most all of the music originally written for orchestra without voice must be used, adding those sections with a vocal line essential to a synthesis . . . . Four: every note must be Wagner's own. . . . Though no conscious attempt was made to include all the Ring's motifs, most of them do surface in one form or another."

The result as represented on this CD is eminently satisfactory. Maazel is a seasoned Wagner conductor, and has conducted the complete Ring at Bayreuth and elsewhere. The Berlin Philharmonic is one of the world's great orchestras. Both it and Maazel are in top form here: the performance is idiomatic and assured, sweeping and eloquent, played to the hilt, bristling with authority and conviction. I hope I'm not being fanciful in finding that listening to the whole suite straight through yields a kind of catharsis. The sound is robust, full-bodied, with wide dynamic range, with solid weight and impact. Telarc's engineers have done a commendable job of coping with the problematic acoustics of Berlin's Philharmonie; this is probably just about the best sound that can be extracted from that vexed venue.

The recording was made in Dec. 1987. Total playing time is 69:40 (broken out as follows: Das Rheingold 14:47, Die Walkure 12:42, Siegfried 6:15, and Gotterdammerung 36:33; if this seems to give short shrift to Siegfried, it has always been musically the weakest of the four operas).

In short, it's hard to imagine a better orchestral introduction to the glories of the Ring. The virtues of this CD move it to the top of its class: highly recommended.

Could have been a fun ride, but..........2005-10-01

Decades ago, Leopold Stokowski popularized opera for the general public through "symphonic syntheses." These included Wagner's Ring, Triastan, and Boris Godunov, to mention those I've heard and enjoyed. I was prepared to enjoy Maazel's modern update and expected a fun ride through the gorgeous sonorities of Wagner's score.

Not much enjoyment resulted, however. Maazel is superficial, often ponderous, and much too roughshod with this pastische. It can't all be crash and bang. So I threw the CD away and hope a few others won't make the mistake I did.

Decent, though not ideal; fulfills the original intent.......2005-04-27

In having read the other reviews of this CD, I think many individuals failed to take note of the original intent behind this CD coming about in the first place. Lorin Maazel was commissioned by the recording company (Telarc) to come up with an arrangement of the prime orchestral excerpts of the "Ring," and his 4-step approach listed in the booklet, makes it abundantly clear that NOT ALL of the music commonly heard on other recordings of the orchestral music from the "Ring," would be heard in this arrangement. Also, it is to be inferred that Maazel knows, and obviously doesn't expect his arrangement to take the place of ANY complete recording of the "Ring."

I heard Maazel conduct his arrangement live with the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington, DC last year. Before that concert, I had never listened to this recording, but I knew about it. So I had the advantage of going into the concert with a fresh mind.

I came out of the concert with the feeling that others before me expressed -- that some of the transitions between familiar excerpts were smooth, some so-so, and others rather clunky. I think Maazel would be the first to admit that he was more successful in some areas of his arrangement, and not as successful in others. So be it. Wagner is tough for anyone and everyone delving into the complete operas, whatever their command of German and musical/orchestral principles.

So, my rating and review of this recording is confined to Maazel's task at hand. I give his effort four stars. Most of this "grade" is confined to the arrangement itself. I give the orchestral playing five stars.

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An excellent classical CD
A hidden diamond
Wagner's Grandeur
Ormandy is underrated!
Excellent Recordings

The Best Of Wagner

Manufacturer: RCA
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Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003F4J
Release Date: 1991-06-06

Tracks:

Die Meistersinger: Prelude
Die Walkure: Ride Of The Valkyries
Lohengrin: Bridal Chorus
Siegfried: Forest Murmurs
Gotterdammerung: Dawn & Siegfried's Rhine Journey
Die Walkure: Magic Fire Music
Tristan und Isolde: Liebestod

Customer Reviews:

An excellent classical CD.......2007-01-28

Richard Wagner rightly deserves his high reputation as a classical musician. Like many people, I don't care for Wagner's racial or religious views, but don't let that stop you from enjoying his music. The CD starts off with my favorites the Prelude from Die Meistersinger & Ride of the Valkyries from Die Walkure, followed by a fascinating rendition of the Bridal Chorus (a.k.a. "Here Comes the Bride") from Lohengrin. I won't recite the rest of the list, but there are 4 other compositions, all somewhat varied in style, but very good. Whether you are classical music buff or simply want an introduction to classical music this CD is a good place to start.

A hidden diamond.......2001-10-03

This unassuming budget classic reissue is among the finest of its genre: The Wagner orchestral highlight album, and features the contents of 1973 LP recital the farthest thing from run-of-the-mill, spaciously recorded with the palpable feeling of the presence of the musicians, not merely an amorphously gorgeous orchestral sonority. The music unfolds without self-indulgent pointing, in a free-wheeling manner that is simply right.

The original Ormandy program is supplemented with a track by Robert Shaw doing a luscious rendering of the famous Bridal Chorus from with his divine women's chorus, a version as good or better than any ever anthologized or appearing in complete opera recordings, its 1959 atmospherically recorded sound barely showing its age.

My only caveat is that this stuff really merited more respectful packaging than this ersatz "Best of" series, but at the price, who should complain?

Wagner's Grandeur.......2001-08-24

Wagner was a great composer. His music and use of orchestra are grand and masterful. I am repulsed by his political views, but as an artist he was a genius. This compilation of Wagner is probably the best there is. I listen to it from time to time. The breadth of the orchestral palette, the elevation, and grandeur have been imitated but never duplicated.

Ormandy is underrated!.......2001-02-08

I did a test by listening to Szell, Klemperer, Karajan, Kubelik, Bohm, Jochum, Gerdes, Ozawa, Stokowski, and Ormandy play Wagner overtures and excerpts from "The Ring". My verdict: it's Ormandy. What can I say? I feel as is he's underrated, especially in the annals of Wagner worship. I like Stokowski's energy, but he plays around with scores (horrors!) too much. The Szell was great, but a tad limp. Other conductors have their high points, but Ormandy ranks consistently at the top. His conducting is full and rich and the orchestra always sounds great. I ranked the Szell orchestral music from Wagner at 5 stars, so Ormandy rates 6 stars.

Excellent Recordings.......2000-11-08

The selections performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra under Ormandy are excellent. One of the best. Highly Recommended.

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Great Cover
Szell's Magical And Terrific Wagner Album
Fabulous Wagner!
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Wagner without Words

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ASIN: B000002763
Release Date: 1991-07-01

Tracks:

Das Rheingold: Entrance Of The Gods Into Valhalla
Die Walkure: Ride Of The Valkyries
Die Walkure: Magic Fire Music
Siegfried: Forest Murmurs
Gotterdammerung: Dawn - Seigfried's Rhine Journey
Gotterdammerung: Siegfried's Funeral Music - Final Scene
Tristan And Isolde: Prelude - Love-Death
Die Meistersinger: Prelude To Act I

Customer Reviews:

Great Cover.......2007-06-06

This same album has had at least 2 identical incarnations except for the cover art. So if you have bought some of his Wagner orchestral suites before, beware and be aware! You just may be making a redundant purchase. This version has by far the best cover artwork.

I have several of Wagner's Orchestral suites lps (Szell, Stokowski, Klemperer, Ormandy, Karajan) They all sound just peachy, so do not ask me to choose based on the music. I like the Stokowski best merely because it is on the great sounding Phase 4 label plus it has art work similar to this Szell cd and it has substantial liner notes. But as far as the music goes, a pair of Klemperers/Szells will just about beat any hand.

If you are new to Wagner, this is a wonderful intro. Then you can rent some of his music drama operas thru Netflix and take advantage of the best thing since sliced bread, English subtitles.

If you are looking for the Wagner symphony section at Amazon, there aint any! These orchestral suites are as close as you will get. Look instead to his disciples, Bruckner for symphonies and Richard Strauss for symphonic poems.

Szell's Magical And Terrific Wagner Album.......2007-05-21

This was Cleveland's most prominent condutor, the late George Szell's only Wagner album. True, he was at home conducting the music of Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, Dvorak and all the brand-name, top classical music, but he was, at the same time, a gifted interpreter of Wagner. While Szell's name is not mentioned in the same sentence as Herbert Von Karajan nor was he a conductor of opera, this album showcases the skill and artistry he achieved while conducting the score to Wagner's most important operas - The Ring of the Nibelungen and Tristan and Isolde. The Cleveland Orchestra is at the height of its powers and the music you will hear on this album overflows with passion, dignity, grandeur and beauty, all the elements that Wagner's larger-than-life operas are made of. The first track is the Entrance Of The Gods Into Valhalla, the final scene in Das Rhinegold, the first of the four Ring operas. Pity this album does not begin with the beautifully mysterious and spiritual Rhinegold Overture, which would have been more appropriate, as the music segues into the Entrance of the Gods. But even as it is, it's wonderful. The music describes the vainglorious Odin, his wife Freya and the other Norse gods ascending into the glittering golden palace of Valhalla, pride and downfall of the gods. The music is bombastic and grand, just like one hears it at the opera, a melage of trumpets and brass. But the music is also composed of melancholy strings (violins) describing the lament of the Rhinemaidens, bemoaning the loss of the Ring and foreshadowing the coming tragedy. Track 2: Ride Of The Valkyries: This famous war march has been heard in films (such as Apocalypse Now) and occurs toward the end of "Die Walkure". It's a militaristic, noisy, ebullient battle cry. In the opera, Brunhilde, Odin's immortal daughter, has rebelled against him and takes to the air on winged horses with her fellow Valkyries. This interpretation is quite different than others you'll hear because Szell discovered an additional bit of music that Wagner intended to be played but for the most part is not heard. If you're quick, you'll catch it. It's a repetition of the battle cry "Hojo-to-ho" on the trumpet, occuring toward the last portion of the piece. 3: Magic Fire Music: This "magical" music, mostly for strings, serves as the score to the final scene in "Die Walkure" in which Odin has cast a sleeping spell on Brunhilde and puts her in the middle of a ring of fire, where she will await the kiss of the hero Siegfried. The tristesse of the piece represents a father's grief for the loss of his most belove daughter. Track 4 and 5 Forest Murmurs and Siegfried's Journey: This music is taken from various moments in the opera "Siegfried" which relates the hero's adventures. He awakens the sleeping Brunhilde who has become mortal, slays the fearsome dragon Fafnir and wields as magical sword. The Forest Murmurs takes place in the immense forest where Brunhilde lies sleeping. Endowed with the gift of communicatin with nature, a bird tells Siegfried where he can find Brunhilde. If one does not overanalyze the music, merely strings and flutes, one can clearly feel the word-painting and characterization in the piece. The flute is the bird or birds and the forest itself, the more powerful chords represent Siegfried and the brief "Valkyrie" motif stands for Brunhilde. In "Rhine Journey" we hear the strings become the flowing river and we can see Siegfried journeying to a dangerous adventure, one which costs the hero's life. In "Siegfried's Funeral March" Siegfried has been betrayed and is slain by the Giants. The funeral music is dark, primal and powerful in its depiction of nobility and downfall. As it ends, we hear Brunhilde's love theme which then appropriately takes us to the Immolation Scene. Brunhilde, distraught over the death of her beloved, summons her horse and leaps over Siegfrie'ds burning funeral pyre, a grand act of love and sacrifice, the first hint of humanity and compassion in otherwise dark drama filled with greedy and wicked characters. This leads to Valhalla's demise by fire and water and the world ends. Only the Rhinemaidens remain, taking back the ring which had long been stolen from them. Though these are only portions of music from the supremely lengthy score, it is enough to entice the listener to seeing the Ring, the biggest feast of opera one can ever undertake. The Overture to Tristan and Isolde summarizes the work itself. It's a high romantic tragedy concerning the knight Tristan, the King he serves and Isolde the Queen, whom he falls in love with. Their love is doomed but the magic and transient bliss is perfectly captured in the luminescent Overture, which begins softly and mysteriously with the "Tristan Chord" and culminates with a ravishing rush of strings. The Liebestod, the Love Death, is Isolde's swan song, as she dies of love for the fallen knight. Szell does not play this too fast or too slow. It's done right, and it's heartbreaking, ethereal and magnificent, perhaps even at the level of Karajan's famous interpretations of it. The final track is the grand overture to Die Mastersanger Von Nuremberg, a lengthy paean to Mediveal chivalry, all grandeur and pomp.

Five Stars Well Deserved. Make this your first intro to Wagner. The music will seduce you into watching Wagner operas. Dreamy, romantic, grand, sad, larger than life, Szell has captured the essence of Wagner in a single album. Buy it now. It's cheap and affordable. It's highly recommended. Enjoy.

Fabulous Wagner!.......2006-10-07

This is certainly very good music-making, falling just a little short in the colors department - for which the Berlin under Karajan or the Philadelphia under Ormandy are the ticket. But that aside it's difficult to accept all this Szell bashing. People still listen to the Cleveland recording of the Dvorak Slavonic Dances and will for years to come. And unless you have to have original instruments it's tough to beat Szell and the Cleveland orchestra's brio and attention to detail in Mozart and Haydn.
Of course some of this carping may be the result of a little bit too much self-esteem and not enough appreciation for just what it takes to lead an orchestra at such a level. I remember in college I happened to be at a small gathering of literary people including a few novelists and poets and one critic,the august Edmund Wilson. Not knowing any better I walked right up to a stern-looking older man looking every bit the serious 'Dean of American Critics' and blurted out how much fun I had reading his story "The Man who Shot Snapping Turtles." Apparently this gushing adolescent accolade softened him a bit, and he talked with me for a couple of minutes. The last question I asked him was what did he consider the most important thing in writing criticism. Mr. Wilson blurted out bluntly, "Get it right!"
Over the years I have always thought there was a world of truth in that rather journalistic maxim. The reviews here are a perfect example. One could write and gush about this and that, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter how many names you drop, or airs you put on, if you cannot recognize quality you're no better than the crook in Gatsby whose idea of a small town where one could safely pass counterfeit bonds over the counter was Detroit.
In the Great Gatsby the crook passing false currency for real is picked up by the police. Unfortunately Amazon readers are easily mislead by glowing praise or, in the case of some of the reviews of the Wagner here, cold dislike. People react to harsh words, and especially when they are well written and sound based on experience. Let me assure you - no one is always right, and there are some people who, for whatever reason, have skewered taste.
The Szell Cleveland Wagner CD here is a series of showpieces, played very very well by the Cleveland orchestra. What sets this apart from many Wagner collections is the astonishing orchestra playing. Szell's orchestra, supreme in Dvorak, brings to Wagner's music a clarity rarely achieved by other orchestras. Superbly balanced, the virtousity of the players is on full display. It's a joy to actually hear all the myriad instrumental sounds in Wagner's score - Wagner played in tune, what a shocking concept. And particularly Wagner devoid of bathos! Tovey used to cite Wagner as perhaps the best of all orchestrators; here we have the Cleveland at the pinnacle of their glory days, a wonderful momento. Writing nasty dismissive words about performances of this caliber says more about the reviewers than it does about the recording.
This has been remastered for SACD and if you have a machine that will play SACDs then that is the one to purchase.

Szell has not fallen!.......2006-01-14

I quote from a previous review: "Perhaps no eminent conductor has fallen so far after his death as George Szell". To this comment, I say "Baloney". One great thing about Amazon is their sale of deleted CDs by independent sellers. When George Szell/Cleveland Orchestra CDs suddenly disappear, their price by the independent sellers skyrockets. As for the present CD, I have bought it on LP, cassette and CD and cherished it for years. The playing is sensational, the performances have plenty of passion and the sound is great. The Die Meistersinger and Tristan excerpts were recorded earlier than the Ring and have a little more spontanaiety but the Ring excerpts are also outstanding.

Precise, clinical performances in dated sound.......2005-10-29

Perhaps no eminent conductor has fallen so far after his death as George Szell. He was treated with enormous respect during his long tenure with the Cleveland Orchestra, and he couldn't appear in Carnegie Hall without getting raves from the New York critics (his reviews were much better than Bernstein's). On the evidence of this cold, unfeeling CD of Wagner excerpts, mostly from the Ring, one wonders why. Every excerpt is treated to the same strict, unyielding approach; there is no rubato or romanticism. In addition the sound is thin and full of hiss (Szell's LPs on Epic were infamous for their bad sound, and Sony hasn't bothered to improve things on their digitual reissue.)

I will remember Szell fondly from my formative years in the Sixties, but he has become a dead letter in the intervening decades.

Average customer rating:

Story Of Wagner In Words And Music

Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001KD3
Release Date: 1995-04-16

Tracks:

The Mastersingers: Prelude
Lohengrin: Prelude To Act III
Faust: Overture
The Mastersingers: 'Awake!'
The Mastersingers: 'Mad, All The World Is Mad'
The Fairies: Overture
Siegfried: Forest Murmurs
The Mastersingers: Act III Quintet
Rienzi: Overture
The Flying Dutchman: Overture
Tannhaeuser: Pilgrim's Chorus
Tannhaeuser: Overture
Gotterdammerung (Twilight Of The Gods): Siegfried's Rhine Journey
Tannhaeuser: Song Of The Evening Star
Lohengrin: Bridal Chorus
Tristan und Isolde: Love-Death
Tannhaeuser: Venusberg Music
Lohengrin: Prelude To Act I
The Mastersingers: Prelude
The Mastersingers: Prize Song
The Mastersingers: Beckmesser And Sachs Duet In Act II
The Valkyrie: The Ride Of The Valkyries
Gotterdammerung: Siegfred's Rhine Journey
Siegfried: Siegfried Idyll
Parsifal: Good Friday Spell
Gotterdammerung: Siegfred's Funeral Music
Tannhaeuser: Overture
Lohengrin: Preludes To Act I And III, And Bridal Chorus

Wagner Weekend - The Ride of the Valkyries

Average customer rating:

Wagner's best music
Stoki's greatest recordings ever.
Magnificent performances of Wagner masterpieces.

Wagner Weekend - The Ride of the Valkyries

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000041T7
Release Date: 1989-09-20

Tracks:

The Ride Of The Valkyries
Dawn And Siegried's Rhine Journey
Siegfried's Death And Funeral Music
Entrance Of The Gods Into Valhalla
Forest Murmurs
Prelude

Customer Reviews:

Wagner's best music.......2007-05-25

This is real music by a real genius. One wonders how he and other classical composers could envision all of the instruments interacting together to produce the desired outcome.

Stoki's greatest recordings ever........2004-04-05

These orchestral works from the Ring and Die Meistersinger are some of the most thrilling interpretations on record. Stokowski was very passionate about Wagner and it is obvious. The writer usually does not agree with the conductor's style but admits that he was blown away here. Conducting the London Symphony, Stoki forces the "Stokowski Sound" out of the flood gates immediately. The color of the recordings is amazing yet it never gets excessive. The "Ride of the Valkyries", "Rhine Journey", "Funeral March", and "Entrance Into Valhalla" are equally impressive for all of the above reasons. The crown jewel of this CD however, is the "Forrest Murmurs." Combining all of the emotions and ideas associated with the opera (wonder, mysteriousness, joy, and triumph) is a monumental task. Stokowski and the LSO pull it off in dramatic fassion. It has never been bested. The live performance of the prelude to Die Meistersinger is electric and has adrenaline that is common with such recordings but it is very interesting to know why. Stokowski and the orchestra performed the overture without fully rehersing it! During rehersal, they began and after a few bars of music Stokowski stopped the orchestra and said, "We don't need to do this. You all know it!" He was right.

Magnificent performances of Wagner masterpieces........2000-09-19

Like many people, I find most of Wagner's operas somewhat difficult to listen to from start to finish. But each of Wagner's operas contains sections that are simply gorgeous. This CD collects five such pieces from his "Ring" cycle. Each is magnificently conducted by Leopold Stokowski who, in my view, was the greatest Wagner conductor -- and, possibly, the greatest all-around conductor -- of the 20th century. If you think you don't like Wagner's music, please try this CD. I think it will convert you.

Average customer rating:

Good starter collection of Wagner
This is the better of the two Wagner Greatest Hits CDs

Wagner: Greatest Hits

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003F6C
Release Date: 1991-09-06

Tracks:

Die Meistersinger: Prelude To Act One
Lohengrin: Bridal Chorus
Siegfried: Forest Murmurs
Grderung: Dawn And Siegfried's Rhine Journey
Die Walkagic Fire Music
Trstan And Isolde: Liebestod
Tannher: March
Lohengrin: Prelude To Act III
Tannher: Pilgrim's Chorus
Die Walkide Of The Valkyries

Customer Reviews:

Good starter collection of Wagner.......2006-10-02

This selection of Wagner's "Greatest Hits" is a great CD, with a good selection, overall, or Wagner's most representative work, and very good sound quality. The recordings are all by famous orchestras and conductors--including Eugene Ormandy, Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops--and the sound is terrific. Listen to this CD on a good stereo.

The tracks themselves represent some of Wagner's best work. "Chor der Pilger" from the opera Tannhäuser is sung in an English translation, but this doesn't detract from the power of the music itself. Of course, there are the requisite tracks of "Siegfrieds Rheinreise" and the "Walkürenritt," or "Ride of the Valkyries;" both of which are very good, and having both on the same CD is nice.

Highly recommended for anyone who likes Wagner or classical music in general. Again: listen to this on a good sound system.

This is the better of the two Wagner Greatest Hits CDs.......2001-08-08

It is certainly hard to appreciate Richard Wagner's musical genius through a Greatest Hits collection since his greatest strength was in achieving a heightened dramatic and musical unity in his operas through the use of leitmotifs, i.e., themes that presents the different characters and moods of the musical drama. So if you truly want to appreciate Wagner, you want to listen to Tannhauser or make your way through the entire Ring Cycle. Still, this CD offers you a decent introduction to Wagner's music offering up the "Bridal Chorus" from Lohengrin and "The Ride of the Valkyries" from Die Walkure. Furthermore, of the two Wagner Greatest Hit collections this is the superior one because it includes the "Pilgrim's Chorus" from Tannhauser, which may be the second most famous piece by Wagner after the Bridal Chorus because of a certain Bugs Bunny/Elmer Fudd cartoon. These things are important.