Wagner: Das Rheingold

1. Das Rheingold (The Rhine Gold), opera, WWV 86a
   Composed by Richard Wagner
   Performed by Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
   with Kurt Bohme, Gerd Nienstedt, Helga Dernesch, Wolfgang Windgassen, Martti Talvela, Vera Soukupova, Annelies Burmeister, Erwin Wohlfahrt, Dorothea Siebert, Gustav Neidlinger, Theo Adam, Anja Silja, Ruth Hesse, Wieland Wagner, Hermin Esser
   Conducted by Karl Bohm
   
   

Wagner: Das Rheingold,Richard Wagner,Karl Böhm,Bayreuther Festspiele Orchester,Anja Silja,Annelies Burmeister,Dorothea Siebert,Erwin Wohlfahrt,Gerd Nienstedt,Gustav Neidlinger,Helga Dernesch,Hermin Esser,Kurt Böhme,Martti Talvela,Ruth Hesse,Theo Adam,Vera Soukupova,Wolfgang Windgassen,Polygram Records,Classical,Classical Music,German/Austrian Romantic Opera,Opera,Opera / Operetta / Oratorio

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Average customer rating: An AWESOME "Rheingold" from a "RING" for the Ages! Age defying performance. What a find! The Bayreuth 1955 Ring Cycle by Testament About that "hissing noise"...

Wagner: Das Rheingold Manufacturer: Testament UK ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Wagner: Die Walküre Wagner: Siegfried Wagner: Götterdämmerung Wagner: Der Fliegende Holländer Wagner - Gotterdammerung ASIN: B000J20D6A Release Date: 2006-12-12

Tracks:

1. Prelude
2. Weia! Wega!
3. Garstig Glatter Glitsch'riger Glimmer
4. Wallala! Wallala! Lalaleia! Lalaleia!
5. Lugt, Schewestern!
6. Der Welt Erbe
7. Wotan, Gemahl, Erwache!
8. Sanft Schlob Schlaf Dein Aug'
9. Zu Mir, Freia!
10. Endlich Loge!
11. Immer Ist Undank Loges Lohn!
12. Eini Runezauber Zwingt Das Gold Zum Reif
13. Hor, Wotan, Der Harrenden Wort!
14. Was Sinnt Nun Wotan So Wild?
15. Jetzt Fand Ich's

Tracks:

1. Auf, Loge, Hinab Mit Mir!
2. Schau, Du Schelm!
3. Nibelheim Hier
4. Nehmt Euch In Acht!
5. Vergeh', Frevelnder Gauch!
6. Ohe! Ha Ha Ha!
7. Da, Vetter, Sitze Du Fest!
8. Gezahlt Hab'ich
9. Bin Ich Nun Frei?
10. Fasolt Und Fafner Nahen Von Fern
11. Gepflanzt Sind Die Pfahle Nach Pfandes Mab
12. Weiche, Wotan; Weiche!
13. Hort, Ihr Riesen!
14. Schwules Gedunst
15. Abendlich Strahlt Der Sonne Auge
16. Ihrem Ende Eilen Sie Zu
17. Rheingold! Rheingold! Reines Gold!

Amazon.com

This, the third installment in the first stereo Ring (once thought lost), from the stage of the Bayreuth Festival in 1955, is as impressive and crucial to any collection as the previously released Siegfried and Die Walküre. Joseph Keilberth, whose devotion to Wagner was so great that he died conducting the second act of Tristan, leads an incredibly tight performance--almost jaunty in its storytelling. The opening chord, depicting the Rhine, is not played softly as marked; it does rather plunge us into the action with more energy than usual. The singing is universally remarkable. Hans Hotter's Wotan towers in its snideness and potency, while the Fricka of Georgine von Milinkovic is more subtle and alluring than we're accustomed to. Gustav Neidlinger's Alberich is, as on so many other recordings in which he sings this role, something to reckon with--a despicable but wretched character. The giants of Ludwig Weber and Josef Greindl have probably never been bettered; Paul Kuen's Mime is articulate and creepy and Rudolf Lustig's Loge is wily and clearly, cleanly sung. The only stain on this recording is the dreadful hissing noise given off by something called a "Mixtur-Trautonium," an electronic device invented to simulate the sound of the Nibelungs' anvils in Nibelheim. It's a distraction, but it can be lived with. This set is a must-have, and the extraneous noise during that scene is small price to pay for a performance this thrilling. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

An AWESOME "Rheingold" from a "RING" for the Ages!.......2007-06-19

This recording of Wagner's "Das Rheingold" 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 "Das Rheingold" 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

Age defying performance........2007-05-07

Never let the age of this recording deter you. It is vibrant. It is alive. The companion Götterdämmerung is even a little harsh - it adds to the primordial nature of the people. This performance is astounding. Hotter, whose contributions to the Solti Ring and some other later recordings were tremulous and far beyond prime, is here absolutely the god he should be. His voice alone conveys that, but what he does with it shows why he was the Wotan of choice for so long. Gustav Neidlinger is his foil - Alberich. He is just as malevolent as in Solti, but he is even fresher of voice. That can be said of all singers in the entire cycle. A telling scene in this recording is the natural flow of the Nibelheim scene. It is a conversation, so natural and easy that one hardly notices that Loge is maneuvering the conversation.

To those who have no Ring, this is an excellent choice. to those who own the Solti Ring, Karajan Ring, or whomever, this is a wonderful alternative. I was amazed at the quality of the sound. Why only 4 stars? Well, in the later music dramas, Walküre and Siegfried, Keilberth takes tempi that would allow those two operas to be on three CDs each. But they spread them over four CDs. At the Testament price, that gets very expensive.

What a find!.......2007-03-22

What a find this recording is! Along with others in this "Ring" series, Keilberth's performance adds invaluably to what we know about the Bayreuth performing tradition. As a conductor, Keilberth has at times been underrated by reviewers, but this "Ring" cycle is putting his detractors to shame. Like Kempe, he has an ability to propel the score in ways that are hard to define; without projecting himself as a "personality", he brings the music marvellously alive. And it happens that, looking back, one finds him at the center of many memorable productions; a "Freischutz" from the late fifties, a "Barber of Seville" from around the same time, and, much earlier still, a "Turandot" with Maria Cebotari that is astonishing. The other main revelation, in these "Ring" recordings, is the crystalline, beautiful sound. Many of the essays in early stereo--RCA's records with Reiner in Chicago, Decca's recordings in Vienna or EMI's in England--have a propensity to be more detailed and attractive than later recordings. Ever wonder why? This is not the place to try answering, but it's clear that Keilberth's 1955 "Ring" takes its honored place among that group, and bids fair to become--at least in my experience--the most glorious-sounding set of records ever.

The Bayreuth 1955 Ring Cycle by Testament.......2007-03-08

I now have the four disc sets in this series of the Ring. Three I've bought at Amazon, after realizing the pricing was much better here than at Borders where I bought the first.
All are excellent recordings. Truly top notch, though not inexpensive.
If the Ring Cycle is music you enjoy, I highly recommend this set with it's excellent musicians and singers.

About that "hissing noise"..........2007-02-22

It begins at about 1 hour 8 minutes in, and continues for about 25 minutes. It's undoubtedly annoying - like really bad tape hiss. But at *no* point does it (even slightly) obscure the voices of Hotter & Neidlinger etc. at their absolute peak, in (otherwise) excellent sound.

Anybody who dismisses this remarkable set simply because of that is just missing the forest for the trees. But if you're in doubt, all you have to do is listen to the audio samples that Amazon has so helpfully provided: those for Disc 2, tracks 2 through 6 show off the "hissing noise" at its worst.

For whatever it's worth, I think that those who are kicking up a fuss over said "hissing nose" are being more than a bit silly. And I can't help wondering whether they could deal, even for a moment, with the much more severe audio compromises required to appreciate the incomparable recorded interpretations of Frida Leider & Lauritz Melchior & Friedrich Schorr.

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 All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music New York Philharmonic Orchestra | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music 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 Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: 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:

1. The Valkyries: Ride Of The Valkyries
2. Twilight Of The Gods: Siegfried's Funeral March
3. Lohengrin: Prelude to Act III
4. The Flying Dutchman: Overture
5. The Flying Dutchman: Sailors' Chorus
6. The Rheingold: Journey Down To Nibelheim
7. The Mastersingers Of Nuremberg: Overture
8. Tannhauser: Overture
9. Tannhauser: Entry Of The Guests
10. Tannhauser: Tannhauser's Pilgrimage
11. Siegfried: Act III Orchestral Interlude
12. Twilight Of The Gods: Siegfried's Rhine Journey
13. Twilight Of The Gods: Finale
14. The Rheingold: Entry Of The Gods Into Valhalla

Tracks:

1. Lohengrin: Prelude To Act I
2. Lohengrin: Bridal Chorus
3. Parsifal: Prelude to Act I
4. Parsifal: Good Friday Music
5. Parsifal: Transformation Scene
6. Tannhauser: Venusberg Music
7. Tannhauser: Pilgrims Chorus
8. The Mastersingers Of Nuremburg: Prelude To Act III
9. The Rheingold: Vision Of Valhalla (Scene II Introduction)
10. Siegfried Idyll
11. Siegfried: Brunnhildes Awakening
12. Tristan And Isolde: Prelude To Act III
13. 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: "Leb wohl, Siegmund, seligster Held!" Easily the best investment I've ever made!!! Possibly the greatest recording of the century Wonderful recording - GLARING TECHNICAL ISSUE LORD OF THE RINGS

Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen (Ring Cycle) / Sir Georg Solti Sir Georg Solti , Wiener Philharmoniker , Vienna State Opera Choir , Kirsten Flagstad , Paul Kuen , George London , Jean Madeira , Ira Malaniuk , Gustav Neidlinger , and Hetty Plumacher Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Solti, Sir Georg | ( S ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | 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 Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Sopranos | Voices | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Opera & Vocal | Box Sets | Stores | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: An Introduction to Der Ring des Nibelungen Wagner's Ring: Turning the Sky Round Wagner: Lohengrin Tristan Und Isolde Wagner: Tristan und Isolde ASIN: B0000042H4 Release Date: 1997-10-14

Tracks:

1. Das Rheingold: Erste Szene: Vorspiel - Prelude
2. Das Rheingold: Erste Szene: Weila! Waga! Woge, du Welle!
3. Das Rheingold: Erste Szene: Garstig glatter glitschriger Glimmer!
4. Das Rheingold: Erste Szene: Wallala! Lalaleia!
5. Das Rheingold: Erste Szene: Lugt, Schwestern!
6. Das Rheingold: Erste Szene: Der Welt Erbe gewann' ich zu eigen durch dich?
7. Das Rheingold: Zweite Szene: Wotan! Gernahl! Erwache!
8. Das Rheingold: Zweite Szene: Sanft schloss Schlaf dein Aug'
9. Das Rheingold: Zweite Szene: Zu mir, Freia! Meide sie, Frecher!
10. Das Rheingold: Zweite Szene: Endlich Loge!
11. Das Rheingold: Zweite Szene: Immer ist Undank Loges Lohn!
12. Das Rheingold: Zweite Szene: Ein Runenzauber zwingt das Gold zum Reif
13. Das Rheingold: Zweite Szene: Hor', Wotan, der Harrenden Wort!
14. Das Rheingold: Zweite Szene: Was sinnt nun Wotan so wild?
15. Das Rheingold: Zweite Szene: Auf, Loge, hinab mit mir! - Dritte Szene: Hehe! hehe! hieher!

Tracks:

1. Die Walkure: Dritte Szene: Schau, du Schelm!
2. Die Walkure: Dritte Szene: Nibelheim hier: durch bleiche Nebel was blitzen dort
3. Die Walkure: Dritte Szene: Nehmt euch in acht! Alberich naht - Sein harren wir hier
4. Die Walkure: Dritte Szene: Vergeh, frevelnder Gauch! - Was sagt der? - Sei doch bei Sinnen!
5. Die Walkure: Dritte Szene: Ohe! Hahaha! Ohe! Hahaha! Schreckliche Schlange
6. Die Walkure: Vierte Szene: Da, Vetter, sitze du fest!
7. Die Walkure: Vierte Szene: Gezahlt hab' ich, nun lasst mich zieh'n!
8. Die Walkure: Vierte Szene: Bin ich nun frei? Wirklich frei?
9. Die Walkure: Vierte Szene: Fasolt und Fafner nahen von fern
10. Die Walkure: Vierte Szene: Gepflanzt sind die Pfahle
11. Die Walkure: Vierte Szene: Weiche, Wotan, weiche!
12. Die Walkure: Vierte Szene: Hort, ihr Riesen! Zuruck, und harret!...Halt, du Gieriger!
13. Die Walkure: Vierte Szene: Schwules Gedunst...Zur Burg fuhrt die Brucke
14. Die Walkure: Vierte Szene: Abendlich strahlt der Sonne Auge
15. Die Walkure: Vierte Szene: Rheingold! Rheingold! Reines Gold! Wie lauter und hell

Tracks:

1. Die Walkure: Erster Aufzug: Prelude
2. Die Walkure: Erster Aufzug, Erste Szene: Wes Herd dies auch sei
3. Die Walkure: Erster Aufzug, Erste Szene: Kuhlende Labung gab mir der Queil!
4. Die Walkure: Erster Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Mud am Herd fand ich den Mann
5. Die Walkure: Erster Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Friedmund darf ich nicht heissen
6. Die Walkure: Erster Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Aus dem Wald trieb es mich fort
7. Die Walkure: Erster Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Ich weiss ein wildes Geschlecht
8. Die Walkure: Erster Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Ein Schwert verhiess mir der Vater
9. Die Walkure: Erster Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Schlafst du, Gast?
10. Die Walkure: Erster Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Wintersturme wichen dem Wonnemond
11. Die Walkure: Erster Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Du bist der Lenz, nach dem ich verlangte
12. Die Walkure: Erster Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Wehwalt heisst du furwahr? - Siegmund heiss ich

Tracks:

1. Die Walkure: Zweiter Aufzug: Prelude
2. Die Walkure: Zweiter Aufzug, Erste Szene: Nun zaume dein Ross, reisige Maid
3. Die Walkure: Zweiter Aufzug, Erste Szene: Der alte Sturm, die alte Muh'!
4. Die Walkure: Zweiter Aufzug, Erste Szene: So ist es denn aus mit den ewigen Gottern
5. Die Walkure: Zweiter Aufzug, Erste Szene: Nichts lerntest du
6. Die Walkure: Zweiter Aufzug, Erste Szene: Was verlangst du?
7. Die Walkure: Zweiter Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Schlimm, fucht ich, schloss der Streit
8. Die Walkure: Zweiter Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Was keinem in Worten ich kunde
9. Die Walkure: Zweiter Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Ein andres ist's: achte es wohl
10. Die Walkure: Zweiter Aufzug, Zweite Szene: O sag, kunde, was soll nun dein Kind?
11. Die Walkure: Zweiter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Raste nun hier, gonne dir Ruh!
12. Die Walkure: Zweiter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Hinweg! Hinweg! Flieh die Entweihte!

Tracks:

1. Die Walkure: Zweiter Aufzug, Vierte Szene: Siegmund! Sieh auf mich!
2. Die Walkure: Zweiter Aufzug, Vierte Szene: Hehr bist du, und heilig
3. Die Walkure: Zweiter Aufzug, Vierte Szene: So wenig achtest du ewige Wonne?
4. Die Walkure: Zweiter Aufzug, Funfte Szene: Zauberfest bezahmt ein Schlaf der Holden Schmerz und Harm
5. Die Walkure: Zweiter Aufzug, Funfte Szene: Kehrte der Vater nur heim!

Tracks:

1. Die Walkure: Dritter Aufzug, Erste Szene: Vorspiel - Hojotoho! Hojotoho! Heiaha! Heiaha!
2. Die Walkure: Dritter Aufzug, Erste Szene: Schutzt mich und helft in hochster Not!
3. Die Walkure: Dritter Aufzug, Erste Szene: Nicht sehre dich Sorge um mich
4. Die Walkure: Dritter Aufzug, Erste Szene: Steh, Brunnhild'!
5. Die Walkure: Dritter Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Wo ist Brunnhild', wo die Verbrecherin?
6. Die Walkure: Dritter Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Hier bin ich Vater: gebiete die Strafe!
7. Die Walkure: Dritter Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Wehe! Weh! Schwester, ach Schwester!
8. Die Walkure: Dritter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: War es so schmahlich, was ich verbrach
9. Die Walkure: Dritter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Nicht weise bin ich, doch wusst' ich das eine
10. Die Walkure: Dritter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: So tatest du, was so gern zu tun ich begehrt
11. Die Walkure: Dritter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Du zeugtest ein edles Geschlecht
12. Die Walkure: Dritter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Leb wohl, du kuhnes, herrliches Kind!
13. Die Walkure: Dritter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Denn einer nur freie die Braut
14. Die Walkure: Dritter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Loge, hor! Lausche hierher!

Tracks:

1. Siegfried: Erster Aufzug: Vorspiel
2. Siegfried: Erster Aufzug, Erste Szene: Zwangvolle Plage! Mueh ohne Zweck!
3. Siegfried: Erster Aufzug, Erste Szene: Hoiho! Hoiho! Hau ein! Hau ein!
4. Siegfried: Erster Aufzug, Erste Szene: Da hast du die Stucken, schandlicher Stumper
5. Siegfried: Erster Aufzug, Erste Szene: Ais zullendes Kind zog ich dich auf
6. Siegfried: Erster Aufzug, Erste Szene: Vieles lehrtest du, Mime
7. Siegfried: Erster Aufzug, Erste Szene: Einst lag wimmernd ein Weib
8. Siegfried: Erster Aufzug, Erste Szene: Und diese Stucken sollst du mir schmieden
9. Siegfried: Erster Aufzug, Erste Szene: Da sturmt er hin!
10. Siegfried: Erster Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Heil dir, weiser Schmied!
11. Siegfried: Erster Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Hier sitz' ich am Herd und setze mein Haupt
12. Siegfried: Erster Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Was zu wissen dir frommt, solltest du fragen
13. Siegfried: Erster Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Die Stucken! Das Schwert! O weh! Mir schwindelt!
14. Siegfried: Erster Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Verfluchtes Licht!
15. Siegfried: Erster Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Heda! Du Fauler!

Tracks:

1. Siegfried: Erster Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Bist du es, Kind?
2. Siegfried: Erster Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Fuhltest du nie im finstren Wald
3. Siegfried: Erster Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Her mit den Stucken, fort mit dem Stumper!
4. Siegfried: Erster Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Notung! Notung! Neidliches Schwert!
5. Siegfried: Erster Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Hoho! Hoho! Hahei!
6. Siegfried: Zweiter Aufzug: Vorspiel
7. Siegfried: Zweiter Aufzug, Erste Szene: In Wald und Nacht
8. Siegfried: Zweiter Aufzug, Erste Szene: Zur Neidhohle fuhr ich bei Nacht
9. Siegfried: Zweiter Aufzug, Erste Szene: Mit mir nicht, hadre mit Mime
10. Siegfried: Zweiter Aufzug, Erste Szene: Fafner! Fafner! Erwache, Wurm!
11. Siegfried: Zweiter Aufzug, Erste Szene: Nun, Alberich, das schlug fehl
12. Siegfried: Zweiter Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Wir sind zur Stelle!
13. Siegfried: Zweiter Aufzug, Erste Szene: Dass der mein Vater nicht ist

Tracks:

1. Siegfried: Zweiter Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Aber wie sah meine Mutter wohl aus?
2. Siegfried: Zweiter Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Meine Mutter, ein Menschenweib!
3. Siegfried: Zweiter Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Haha! Da hatte mein Lied mir was Liebes erblasen!
4. Siegfried: Zweiter Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Wer bist du, kuhner Knabe, der das Herz mir traf?
5. Siegfried: Zweiter Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Zur Kunde taugt kein Toter
6. Siegfried: Zweiter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Wohin schleichst du eilig und schlau
7. Siegfried: Zweiter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Was ihr mir nutzt, weiss ich nicht
8. Siegfried: Zweiter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Wilkommen, Siegfried!
9. Siegfried: Zweiter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Da lieg auch du, dunkler Wurm!
10. Siegfried: Dritter Aufzug: Vorspiel
11. Siegfried: Dritter Aufzug, Erste Szene: Wache, Wala! Wala! Erwach
12. Siegfried: Dritter Aufzug, Erste Szene: Stark ruft das Lied

Tracks:

1. Siegfried: Dritter Aufzug, Erste Szene: Dir Unweisen ruf' ich ins Ohr
2. Siegfried: Dritter Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Mein Voglein schwebte mir fort!
3. Siegfried: Dritter Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Wohin, Knabe, heisst dich dein Weg?
4. Siegfried: Dritter Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Kenntest du mich, kuhner Spross
5. Siegfried: Dritter Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Mit zerfochtner Waffe wich mir der Feige?
6. Siegfried: Dritter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Selige Ode auf sonniger Hoh!
7. Siegfried: Dritter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Das ist kein Mann!
8. Siegfried: Dritter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Heil dir, Sonne! Heil dir, Licht!
9. Siegfried: Dritter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: O Siegfried! Siegfried! Seliger Held!
10. Siegfried: Dritter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Dort seh' ich Grane
11. Siegfried: Dritter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Ewig war ich, ewig bin ich

Tracks:

1. Gotterdammerung: Prolog: Welch Licht leuchtet dort
2. Gotterdammerung: Prolog: Treu beratner Vertrage Runen
3. Gotterdammerung: Prolog: Es ragt die Burg, von Riesen gebaut
4. Gotterdammerung: Prolog: Zu neuen Taten, teurer Helde
5. Gotterdammerung: Prolog: Willst du mir Minne schenken
6. Gotterdammerung: Prolog: O heilige Gotter!
7. Gotterdammerung: Prolog: Siegfrieds Rheinfahrt
8. Gotterdammerung: Erster Aufzug, Erste Szene: Nun hor, Hagen
9. Gotterdammerung: Erster Aufzug, Erste Szene: Wen ratst du nun zu frein
10. Gotterdammerung: Erster Aufzug, Erste Szene: Jagt er auf Taten wonnig umher
11. Gotterdammerung: Erster Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Wer ist Gibichs Sohn?
12. Gotterdammerung: Erster Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Begrusse froh, o Held
13. Gotterdammerung: Erster Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Willkommen, Gast, in Gibichs Haus!

Tracks:

1. Gotterdammerung: Erster Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Deinem Bruder bot ich mich zum Mann
2. Gotterdammerung: Erster Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Bluhenden Lebens labendes Blut
3. Gotterdammerung: Erster Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Frisch auf die Fahrt!
4. Gotterdammerung: Erster Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Hier sitz' ich zur Wacht
5. Gotterdammerung: Erster Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Altgewohntes Gerausch
6. Gotterdammerung: Erster Aufzug, Dritte Szene:Hore mit Sinn, was ich dir sage!
7. Gotterdammerung: Erster Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Welch banger Traume Maren
8. Gotterdammerung: Erster Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Was leckt so wutend
9. Gotterdammerung: Erster Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Brunnhild'! Ein Freier kam

Tracks:

1. Gotterdammerung: Zweiter Aufzug: Vorspiel
2. Gotterdammerung: Zweiter Aufzug, Erste Szene: Schlafst du, Hagen, mein Sohn?
3. Gotterdammerung: Zweiter Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Hoiho, Hagen! Muder Mann!
4. Gotterdammerung: Zweiter Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Heiss mich willkommen, Gibichskind!
5. Gotterdammerung: Zweiter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Hoiho! Hoihohoho!
6. Gotterdammerung: Zweiter Aufzug, Vierte Szene: Heil dir, Gunther!
7. Gotterdammerung: Zweiter Aufzug, Vierte Szene: Gegrusst sei, teurer Held
8. Gotterdammerung: Zweiter Aufzug, Vierte Szene: Einen Ring sah ich an deiner Hand
9. Gotterdammerung: Zweiter Aufzug, Vierte Szene: Heil'ge Gotter, himmlische Lenker!
10. Gotterdammerung: Zweiter Aufzug, Vierte Szene: Helle Wehr! Heilige Waffe!
11. Gotterdammerung: Zweiter Aufzug, Vierte Szene: Gunther, wehr deinem Weibe
12. Gotterdammerung: Zweiter Aufzug, Funfte Szene: Welches Unholds List liegt hier verhohlen?
13. Gotterdammerung: Zweiter Aufzug, Funfte Szene: Vertraue mir, betrogne Frau!
14. Gotterdammerung: Zweiter Aufzug, Funfte Szene: Auf, Gunther, edler Gibichung!

Tracks:

1. Gotterdammerung: Dritter Aufzug: Vorspiel
2. Gotterdammerung: Dritter Aufzug, Erste Szene: Frau Sonne sendet lichte Strahlen
3. Gotterdammerung: Dritter Aufzug, Erste Szene: Ein Albe fuhrte mich irr
4. Gotterdammerung: Dritter Aufzug, Erste Szene: Was leid' ich doch das karge Lob?
5. Gotterdammerung: Dritter Aufzug, Erste Szene: Siegfried! Siegfried! Siegfried!
6. Gotterdammerung: Dritter Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Hoiho!
7. Gotterdammerung: Dritter Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Trink, Guenther, trink!
8. Gotterdammerung: Dritter Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Mime hiess ein murrischer Zwerg
9. Gotterdammerung: Dritter Aufzug, Zweite Szene: In Leid zu dem Wipfel lauscht' ich hinauf
10. Gotterdammerung: Dritter Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Brunnhilde, heilige Braut!
11. Gotterdammerung: Dritter Aufzug, Zweite Szene: Trauermusik beim Tode Siegfrieds
12. Gotterdammerung: Dritter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: War das sein Horn?
13. Gotterdammerung: Dritter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Hoiho! Hoiho!
14. Gotterdammerung: Dritter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Nicht klage wider mich!
15. Gotterdammerung: Dritter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Schweigt eures Jammers
16. Gotterdammerung: Dritter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Starke Scheite schichtet mir dort
17. Gotterdammerung: Dritter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Mein Erbe nun nehm' ich zu eigen
18. Gotterdammerung: Dritter Aufzug, Dritte Szene: Fliegt heim, ihr Raben!

Amazon.com essential recording

Modern storage media (CD/DVD) offer both high fidelity and great reliability in the playback of music. Yet only a bit more than a generation ago, the possibilities inherent in the long-playing record inspired John Culshaw, a young producer for Decca, to attempt the most ambitious recording project ever contemplated up to that time--a complete studio recording of the Ring. Though other Rings were issued after this landmark enterprise, none have equaled the Decca Ring in popularity. There are those who prefer live performances, or who feel that the sound and theatrical effects in this recording are overdone; nonetheless this remains the benchmark Ring, as shown by its seemingly endless rerelease schedule. The Ring effort was high profile at the time and helped nail down Sir Georg Solti's status as a "superstar" conductor and authoritative interpreter of the Wagnerian repertory. Another key contributor to the success of the project was the uniform excellence in the casting. Definitive performances given include Neidlinger's nietzschean Alberich, Stolze's whining Mime, Boehme's rumbling Fafnir, along with Nilsson in her prime-more a force of nature than a human voice. The care lavished on the capture of the music was unmatched at the time of the recording, and still leaves this as one of the best sounding Rings even today, when the oldest part (Rheingold) has reached its 40th anniversary. --Christian C. Rix

Customer Reviews:

"Leb wohl, Siegmund, seligster Held!".......2007-05-15

Okay, so we have the Solti, Bohm, Karajan, Goodall, Boulez, Janowski, Levine, Haitink, and Sawallisch Rings on the market (I haven't listened to the other Ring recordings yet, sorry to say). And all of these leave me to one conclusion: the many differences lead me to believe that all of these ring sets have their own authenticities and setbacks. And here they are:

TIMING (Estimate):
Solti's Ring: 14 hours, 30 minutes
Bohm's Ring: 13 hours, 30 minutes
Karajan's Ring: 14 hours, 50 minutes
Goodall's Ring: 16 hours, 50 minutes
Boulez's Ring: 13 hours, 40 minutes
Janowski's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes
Levine's Ring: 15 hours, 20 minutes
Haitink's Ring: 14 hours, 10 minutes
Sawallisch's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes

CONDUCTING:
Solti: Solti's conducting is driven with sheer muscle, but sometimes he makes the Ring overemotional. His Walkure & Gotterdammerung Preludes are clear examples: they're annoyingly bombastic. Nonetheless he almost seldom loses control with anything. His clear focus on the drama is astonishing.

Bohm: I must say his live Bayreuth recording brings out some of the best. He puts more faith in the orchestral score, but he also gives it more intensity. His tempi are some of the quickest, but they still don't seem rushed at all (except maybe "Wohin schleich'st du eilig und schlau"). I especially like his "Forging Scene" & "Hagen Summons the Vassals"; both are the most energetic on disc.

Karajan: Karajan's chamber approach is very interesting. Instead of going for the drama or the energy, the conductor goes for the beauty. Almost everything in his Ring sounds very ethereal because of his excessive use of lyricism. His orchestral preludes (except Walkure Act 1) sound more beautiful than others, and much of the soft parts (such as Siegfried Act Three Scene Three) are controlled nicely. His "Funeral March" and "Immolation" are recommendable. Siegfried Act Three Scene Two could have improved with more tension.

Goodall: Oh, boy. While I do praise Goodall with his amazing attention to detail, his ridiculously sluggish tempi will tick some Wagnerites off: nothing is faster than andante. But I did enjoy listening to the slow beauty of his "Wotan's Farewell/Magic Fire Music". This was recorded live and sung in English.

Boulez: Here it is, folks - the controversial Centennial Ring. To fit the Ring Cycle in the industrial age, Boulez gives it a very Schoenbergian, Bartokian atmosphere. Much of his tempi are very quick, very Bohm-like, though they're still not as fast as Bohm. Keep in mind, though, this live Ring works only if you hear AND see it (the DVD's work best).

Janowski: This is a very classical Ring. Instead of bombast, spacious, or lyrical passion, maestro Janowski gives us the straightforward approach. He goes straight for Wagner's original intentions (precise tempi, dynamics, flow of leitmotivs, etc.), which makes this another exquisite Ring. "Hagen Summons the Vassals" is probably the fastest I've ever heard (along with Sawallisch's). Rheingold Scene Four can be best described as "sensational".

Levine: While he does stay true to the score like Bohm, this conductor makes for a somewhat dull Ring. His handling of the orchestra is nice, but the moderately slow tempi he chooses is flawed. It should be more animated. His beautiful "Funeral March" and "Erda's Warning" are two of the few flawless features.

Haitink: This might be seen as a disappointment. If you want great conducting, then this is for you. If you want a persuasive array of singers, look somewhere else. Haitink's conducting saves this work from being a total flop. There is nothing quite like his Rheingold & Gotterdammerung ("Siegfried's Rhine Journey" is a bit forced, but magnificent nonetheless).

Sawallisch: I guess you can say that Sawallisch is half-Karajan, half-Janowski. While he does stay true to the orchestral score like Janowski, he also puts in a little Karajan-like lyricism. At some points he loses track with orchestra and singers (as does every live recording) but Bohm has more control. This was also recorded live.

ORCHESTRA:
Solti's Vienna Philharmonic: The woodwinds are the most beautiful in Solti's Ring (the "Forest Murmurs" is clear evidence of that). French horns and Wagner tubas make this a recommended listening. The strings in "Heda Heda Hedo" could've added a bit more work, but they are strikingly spectacular everywhere else. The orchestra gives it their all in Siegfried Act Two & Three, but they are at their weakest in Walkure Act One & Three (Bohm's Bayreuth does it better). Overall, it's the loudest and certainly most bombastic out of all the Ring orchestras combined.

Bohm's Bayreuth Festival: The ultimate Wagnerian orchestra gives it their all. The brass both high and low are the most powerful, while the woodwinds are the most delicate. The strings are muffled only a few times, otherwise the eighteen anvils are perfectly loud and clear. Erda's scenes aren't as effective as Janowski's, but the entire Walkure is more successful than Janowski's when it comes to tone & technique. Overall, this orchestra is the most dramatic.

Karajan's Berlin Philharmonic: The entire orchestra sounds polished, not to say that it is bad. Indeed the drama is still there, but much of the suspense is lacking (the scenes with Fasolt and Fafner come to mind). The brass sometimes overpowers the strings, which can be a serious problem. Gotterdammerung "Three Norns" Scene sounds very mysterious, very eerie.

Goodall's English National Opera: This orchestra sounds nice, even if the sluggishness can bring them down at times. The Flight of the Valkyries doesn't sound too good in a slow tempo, but the entire orchestra does sound lucid here. Siegfried Act Two Prelude is the creepiest. All of the leitmotivs are heard loud and clear, just like in Janowski's version.

Boulez's Bayreuth Festival: While it doesn't really pack the same punches as Bohm's Bayreuth, it still delivers a stunning performance. Orchestral interaction between characters (Ex. Siegfried's motifs mixed in with Mime's motifs) fares better than Berlin's and English National's. Rhine maiden motifs are given more wit, while the Dragon motifs are played with less eeriness. Beauty makes up for the irritatingly quick "Wotan's Farewell".

Janowski's Staatskapelle Dresden: This orchestra has the same force & flair as does Boulez's Bayreuth Festival, only Dresden sounds much clearer due to the fantastic digital sound. Even minor details are heard clear in this Ring. The strings imitate the Siegfried forest very well, while the woodwinds representing the songbird are wonderful (but not as wonderful as Solti's songbird). Dresden's "Magic Fire Music" (along with Berlin's) is the most extravagant.

Levine's Metropolitan Opera: The brass and woodwinds are the true stars. The strings sound too tired to continue on in Siegfried & Gotterdammerung. The Finale to Rheingold is absolutely stunning (the trumpets and trombones will not disappoint), and the Second Act of Walkure is the most impressive, the most refined.

Haitink's Bavarian Radio Symphony: This may very well be like Metropolitan, only this sounds much more poignant. The strings sound better and the percussion sound clearer. The leitmotivs are almost never screwed up. First scene of Rheingold will take one's breath away.

Sawallisch's Bavarian State: Wrong notes in this live recording won't matter, as the entire orchestra gets everything going in all four nights at the opera. The strings never surrender to imperfection, and the winds are marvelously aligned. I just wish that some of the singers would keep up with the orchestra.

SINGERS:
-Wotan
Solti: Hans Hotter is the superior Wotan. He sounds powerful throughout the Ring (except Rheingold, in which a less stellar George London performs).

Bohm and Janowski: Theo Adam in Bohm's live recording is another treat. While he is not as equally impressive as Hotter, he can certainly conjure up everlasting emotions. Adam sounds weaker in Janowski's studio recording, but he still doesn't disappoint.

Karajan: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau plays Wotan in "Rheingold," while Thomas Stewart replaces Fischer-Dieskau in "Walkure" and "Siegfried". I don't think Fischer-Dieskau was a good choice; he sounds too humane and too light. Stewart makes an astounding improvement in both "Walkure" and "Siegfried".

Goodall: Norman Bailey has that divine spark that Hotter used to cherish. He's heavy and unblemished, and he handles the English text with flair and sheen.

Boulez: If you watch Donald McIntyre on the Centennial Ring production, then you can tell that he's a fine "industrial" Wotan. If you just hear him on CD, then you'll be disappointed. His diction is weak, his emotions are forced, and his voice sounds robotic. The DVD's will do.

Levine and Haitink: James Morris is a notch below Hotter, Adam, and Bailey, but he overpowers Fischer-Dieskau pretty much throughout the Levine's and Haitink's Ring.

Sawallisch: I may be biased, but Robert Hale just didn't do it for me. He sounded dull and tedious, and his Wotan's Farewell wasn't enough to sadden me.

-Brunnhilde
Solti and Bohm: Birgit Nilsson is the best Brunnhilde on the market. Her Valkyrie cry is delightful, and her final scene in Gotterdammerung is brilliant beyond belief.

Karajan: Regine Crespin is without a doubt one of the finest Brunnhildes after Nilsson. She's fantastic in Walkure Act Three. I just wish she stayed on as the Valkyrie later on in the Ring (Helga Dernesch is no good in Gotterdammerung, sorry to say).

Goodall: Rita Hunter is at her strongest in Walkure and Siegfried. She is at her weakest in Gotterdammerung. What may have caused her downfall in the fourth installment? "The world may never know."

Boulez: How can anyone not be impressed by the Brunnhilde of Gwyneth Jones? One can almost feel her excitement during Siegfried Act Three, and her fear in Walkure Act Three. Her weakest point is probably during her Gotterdammerung Prologue (a bit too stressed).

Janowski: Jeannine Altmeyer is basically the most controversial Brunnhilde on CD. Some people say that she's too light and weak, while others say she sounds young and very enchanting. I'm with those who think Altmeyer was a good choice, but you yourself (the shopper) are going to have to decide whether she's good or not.

Levine and Sawallisch: Hildegard Behrens is just like Nilsson and Crespin: while she's not the best, she is definitely another perfect Brunnhilde of choice. She's at her most dazzling when she performs Walkure (Levine) and Siegfried (Sawallisch).

Haitink: Hmph. I was hoping that Eva Marton would do well here. I was seriously let down by her strained singing. She does okay in "Annunciation of Death", but she is at her worst in "Immolation".

-Siegmund & Sieglinde
Let's see. For the Siegmunds, we have James King for Solti and Bohm, Jon Vickers for Karajan, Alberto Remedios for Goodall, Peter Hoffman for Boulez, Siegfried Jerusalem for Janowski, Gary Lakes for Levine, Reiner Goldberg for Haitink, and Robert Schunk for Sawallisch. For the Sieglindes, we have Regine Crespin for Solti, Leonie Rysanek for Bohm, Gundula Janowitz for Karajan, Margaret Curphy for Goodall, Jeanine Altmeyer for Boulez, Jessye Norman for both Janowski and Levine, Cheryl Studer for Haitink, and Julia Varady for Sawallisch. Hmm . . . Jerusalem is good . . . and so is Vickers . . . Janowitz is charming, and so is . . . Oh, what the heck? All the singers for Siegmund and Sieglinde are fantastic. Three exceptions, though: Goldberg and Schunk don't sound heroic enough, and Norman for Levine doesn't sound young and innocent enough.

-Siegfried
Solti and Bohm: Wolfgang Windgassen may very well be the best Siegfried for the ages. His `Forging Scene" in both renditions are defiantly inspiring. His last scene in Gotterdammerung is celestial and overwhelming.

Karajan: Jess Thomas (Siegfried) and Helge Brilioth (Gotterdammerung) may not be as ideal as Windgassen, but they do know how to be a magnificent heldentenor. Thomas pulls it off with Act One and Three.

Goodall: Wow! What a singer that Alberto Remedios! He never drags in either of the last two installments, and he uses the correct emotions in every scene that he is in.

Boulez: Is Manfred Jung a good tenor? Yes. Is he a good Heldentenor? NO. He doesn't have that heroic voice like Windgassen and Remedios. Again, the DVD's are your safest bet.

Janowski and Sawallisch: Rene Kollo's Siegfried is a poetically expressive one. In Janowski's version he sounds playful when he's in Mime's home, and he sounds willed when he's in the Gibich Hall. He is not good enough in Sawallisch's version, however. His tiresome "Forging Scene" is obvious evidence of that.

Levine: Oh, Reiner Goldberg. At least you tried. Seriously, he sounds too tedious (especially in Gotterdammerung Act Three Scene Two) and too old. Levine should've chose Kollo or Jerusalem when he recorded his studio Ring.

Haitink: Have you ever seen Siegfried Jerusalem on the Levine/Metropolitan DVD? Well, here he is again, and this time, he sings with more valor and enthusiasm. Bravo!

-Alberich
Solti and Bohm: Gustav Niedlinger has a heaviness that overwhelms a few other baritones. When he sings his only sequence in Gotterdammerung Act Two Scene One, his emotion is so pure that his son Hagen would've drowned himself in tears (Too melodramatic? Sorry about that.). The only problem is that his character sounds too one-dimensional. Alberich isn't just some cardboard-cutout bad guy. He has a very good reason why he wants to take revenge on the world. Overall, Niedlinger is amazing throughout Wagner's Ring (He deserves many awards for "Bin ich nun frei?").

Karajan: I guess you can say that Zoltan Kelemen tries his best throughout. He is not good in Rheingold, but he gets better in Siegfried and Gotterdammerung.

Goodall: Derek Hammond-Stroud is three-dimensional, but not that much. Still, he can sound very demanding in Rheingold Scene One and Siegfried Act Two Scene One.

Boulez: What we have here is the weak Alberich of Hermann Becht. When he's in Nibelheim, the authority isn't there. When he's in the Neid-Hohle forest, the creepiness isn't there. And when he's near the Gibich house, the misery isn't there. Even on DVD he's unsatisfactory.

Janowski: Siegmund Nimsgern may be the most humane Alberich yet, but it's all good. He sings with more passion than Kelemen and more robustness than Hammond-Stroud. Niedlinger's ferociousness puts him below, however. "Schaf'st du, Hagen, mein sohn?" is noteworthy.

Levine and Sawallisch: Ekkehard Wlaschiha is one hell of a vigorous Alberich. I praise him in Rheingold Scene One and Three. His performance in Siegfried (both versions) could've improved with more distrustfulness towards Mime and the Wanderer.

Haitink: No offense, but Theo Adam as Alberich? Come on . . .

-Mime
Solti and Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is the creepiest Mime ever known to humankind. This dwarf outsings other Mimes on the market. When he sings "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" his anger and fear is the most effective to almost all Ring listeners.

Bohm: Erwin Wohlfahrt wins second place. He gives a first-rate performance in Siegfried Act One, but loses some of his edge in Act Two. He is an exceptional Mime nonetheless. Look for him in Karajan's Rheingold, also.

Goodall: Gregory Dempsey isn't emotional enough. He doesn't sound fearful or depressed at all, which makes him the dullest Mime for the Ring.

Boulez and Levine: Heinz Zednik is yet another excellent Mime, VERY fun to listen to. There is much humor and eccentricity in his voice, and that's what makes his dwarf much more compelling than Dempsey's dwarf. His performance in Rheingold Scene Three is pure gold, while his performance in Siegfried (particularly "Willkommen, Siegfried!") is a stunning achievement.

Janowski: Peter Schreier is for Siegfried, while Christian Vogel is for Rheingold. Vogel is less than perfect, while Schreier is way beyond outstanding. Schreier is less ghoulish and more benevolent, more three-dimensional than Stolze and Wohlfahrt. He is equal to Zednik when it comes to humaneness and lyricism. The only flaw I can find is his handling of "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" He could've added a bit more fear in that sequence.

Haitink: Peter Haage sounds like he's entertaining young kids. His version of Mime is a bit childish, and the dark humor that the dwarf brings out sounds-over-the-top here. Nonetheless, he is still entertaining to listen to ("Wer halfe mir?" has never sounded better).

Sawallisch: Helmut Pampuch is just like Schreier and Zednik: he's very VERY good. Nuff said.

-Loge
Solti: Set Svanholm may be the weakest Loge. He is not very ominous throughout all of his scenes, and his lack of a sinister atmosphere is greatly affects the entire Rheingold. But he'll soon be forgotten later on during the Trilogy.

Bohm: Why the heck would the conductor have Wolfgang Windgassen play both Siegfried AND Loge? The demi-god needs to sound different from a son of a Walsung. Again, another Loge that's marred by lack of cunning.

Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is easily the most entertaining Loge to listen to. He has the wit, the craftiness, and the untrustworthiness that the character deserves. His scenes in Scene Three are delightful.

Goodall: Emile Belcourt isn't as good as Stolze, but he certainly can make some of the best of an English-speaking Loge.

Boulez and Haitink: I can summon Heinz Zednik's performance in just three words: Brilliant Beyond Belief!

Janowski: Peter Schreier is the most eccentric out of all of them, and that's a fact. Much of his singing involves imagination, peril, vengeance, and deviousness. Belcourt and Zednik depend only on vengeance and deviousness, Stolze only imagination and deviousness, Windgassen and Svanholm only peril. His odd conversations with Alberich and the gods/goddesses are classic.

Levine: Siegfried Jerusalem doesn't seem like a good choice for Loge. He's better off playing Siegmund or Siegfried, but not a demi-god.

Sawallisch: Robert Tear is on par with Stolze and Zednik. Sometimes he takes things too low, but all is forgiven with his management of character development.

-Everyone Else
Uh-huh, what can I say? Everyone else does a good job in all Ring recordings. Matti Salminen is the perfect Hagen (Janowski, Levine, and Sawallisch), while Kirsten Flagstad is the most brilliant Fricka (Solti). Anja Silja is the most memorable Freia (Bohm), while Kurt Moll makes the most fabulous Hunding yet (Janowski, Levine, and Sawallisch). The Norns and Rheinmaidens do a splendid job in Solti, Janowski, and Levine. The Vassals (male choir) are at their unsurpassed in Bohm, Goodall, and Boulez. The only flawed Erda is Anne Collins (Goodall), maybe too light and too heavy at times. All in all, no one here is graded C or lower.

CONCLUSION: I have yet to listen to Barenboim's Bayreuth presentation, Neuhold's Badische version, and the essential mono recordings (Furtwangler, Krauss, etc.), but I'm pretty sure that have their advantages and disadvantages. So there you have it. We have the histrionic Solti, the energetic Bohm, the otherworldly Karajan, the spacious Goodall, the industrialized Boulez, the truthful Janowski, the unhurried Levine, the abnormal Haitink, and the serious Sawallisch Rings. They have their own authenticities and setbacks, and they certainly have their own significances for Ring listeners everywhere.

Easily the best investment I've ever made!!!.......2006-09-07

Solti is a true Wagnerian!!! There is truly no one better! In every single Wagner recording under his baton (under the fantastic engineering of the Decca label), there is a power, intensity, and ethereal quality that rings true from first note to last. This studio recording of the Ring Cycle is probably his strongest effort. Virtually every nuance that Wagner desired is apparent, from echoes, to characterizations, to instruments used (the steer-horns in Gotterdammerung). All of his singers are nothing short of the best, especially Hotter, Windgassen, and Nilsson (all of whom are sadly not around any longer). They do everything they can to help Solti bring Wagner's deepest conceptions to life. It's a shame that this performance wasn't filmed. The only thing missing is the visual aspect, but that's a very minute matter, when dealing with a top-notch recording like this one. It pulls the listener in, like he's there, experiencing the story with the likes of Wotan, Siegmund, Siegfried, and Brunnhilde. The package is also an excellent bonus, full of very informative liner notes, as well as set designs and beautiful drawings by the great Arthur Rackham. I paid $120 for this box set, brand new, but I would've gladly paid double that, if necessary. I don't know what I would do without this recording. (If you're feeling dangerous, as I have, try listening to the whole thing, with a nice comfortable set of headphones, with only the occasional bathroom breaks and eating/drinking to stay alive. If you can endure such an intense task, you will not regret it, but make sure you follow every word. Everything counts.) 100 stars!!!

Possibly the greatest recording of the century.......2006-08-17

Ever since the reopening of the Bayreuth Festival in 1951, the operatic world has been blessed with many Ring recordings that are brimming with life and searing in interpretation. The work is certainly the most ambitious and fascinating musical epic ever set on paper, and due to its intricate music and magnificent and poetic text, it has influenced the way music making has been done ever since the Master presented it to the world in 1876. Now, 130 years after that first Ring cycle, the market abounds with hordes of Ring recordings raging from magnificent to deplorable, and with the cost of having to contain such a grand epic in recordable media for the listener to enjoy at home, the pricetags for these Rings are always going to be astounding.

A Ring cycle in the recording studio, of course, is no longer a foreseeable possibility today. The recent Tristan by EMI alone took a good month in the recoring studio, and with the increasingly high wages in the musician's union and the expensive fees needed to pay competent and artistic Wagnerian singers, another Ring in the studio would probably be a Herculean task at best. And, to add to that, the world is sorely lackiing of hochdramatische sopranos, true heldentenors, and great bass-baritones to sing the parts of the cycle's most difficult roles--Brunnhilde, Siegfried, and Wotan. The dearth of these species of voices, plus the scarcity of conductors who can masterfully lead an orchestra into playing one of the most complicated scores ever written in the true Wagnerian style, makes these matters more complicated. In my opinion, only Christian Thielemann can possibly execute this vision effectively today. Due to this, in order to be able to experience this monumental opus, you must turn to the recordings of the past to sample the greatness of Richard Wagner.

I personally feel that the greatest Rings come from the postwar Wieland Wagner Bayreuth festivals. Under his leadership, a calibre of Wagner singing was formed and has been unmatched ever since his premature death from lung cancer. With a team that consisted of chorus master Wilhelm Pitz, singers Astrid Varnay, Hans Hotter, Wolfgang Windgassen, Ramon Vinay, Gustav Neidlinger, Gre Brouwenstijn, Martha Modl, and later Birgit Nilsson, Martti Talvela, James King, Leonie Rysanek, and other singers who owned these roles in the Theatre on the Green Hill, plus a plethora of conductors that consisted of Herbert von Karajan, Hans Knappertsbusch, Clemens Krauss, Joseph Keilberth, and Rudolf Kempe (all conductors who by some divine intervention all had last names beginning with "K"), Wieland Wagner unveiled a new and fresh way of Wagner interpretation along with a team of singers and musicians who made this great music sing.

Some people though, would much prefer the music in the undisturbed, almost pristine conditions achieved by the recording studio. While there are several Der Ring des Nibelungen that have come out of recording halls following this one, none of them have matched it in popularity. And there is a reason for that of course. Solti leads the Wiener Philharmoniker in a recording that brings the theatrical values of Wagner's operas to the comfort of the living room without the stage noises and other distractions that some listeners seem to detest. In addition to that, the care put into immortalizing this Ring in recording media has made it one of the most "real"-sounding performances on disc. Here, you get the steerhorns and tuned anvils and metal bars that Wagner personally requested to be put into the score, in addition to other sound effects that would be impossible to realize in the theater. You can hear the violent thunder in the opening of Act III of Siegfried and the closing scene of Rheingold. I could go on about all these little details, but I leave that for you to witness yourself.

That said about its realistic audio qualities, I would like to discuss the merits of Solti's conducting. It is true that while Solti had a heavy hand in this recording in comparison with conductors such as Karajan, Krauss, Bohm, and Boulez who exuded transparency in their readings, he brings everything in the score to life. He understands Wagner's score well, and his reading is closer to Knappertsbusch on a good day, a method that harkens the traditional way of conducting Wagner. He also has good judgment as to where tempi changes must be made, as can be heard from the closing scene of Das Rheingold. The orchestration during Donner's "Heda Hedo!" is simply ravishing, and the tempi that Solti uses and adjusts to sounds dramatically right. Wagner himself would have been proud. His understanding of the more complex and post-Tristan scores of Siegfried and Gotterdammerung are still unparalleled today. From the Mime Wanderer riddle scene to the Forging song to the Wotan Erda confrontation and the glorious love duet that ends the opera, Solti gets all the orchestral nuances perfectly. His Siegfried is so alive, that any recording after that can be considered below par. But if there was ever one recording that deserved the praise this Ring receives, it has to be Solti's Gotterdammerung. From the haziness of the Norn scene to the Dawn love duet and the Gibichung hall music, and the Waltraute Brunnhilde dialogue, I think Solti captures this Act perfectly. Act 2 is done well too, with Gottlob Frick's menacing Hagen and Neidlinger's definitive Alberich creating a most sinister mood accompanied by Solti's masterly conducting. The revenge trio that caps the act is perfectly executed by the Vienna Philharmonic, and I think that if it were not for the presence of Knappertsbusch's recent Testament release with Varnay and Uhde, this would also probably be the best Act II on disc. Then we have Act III, the culmination of the Ring cycle. From the chattering of the Rhinemaidens to Siegfried's death and funeral march to the glorious Immolation Scene, I think this Act III represents Wagner's music at its greatest, and no other recording captures the essence of the final moments of the Ring with all its synthesis of the various leitmotifs in such a moving manner. This is, perhaps, the best conducted Ring of the studios, and on a good day, I would feel exceeds that of the Bayreuth rings. (Hey! I have my Wagner whims too, and on some days, I if tend to have a preference for Krauss, Karajan, Knappertsbusch, or Bohm...that is my preference! Chacun a son gout!)

Now for the cast. I have never seen such a glorious cast assembled in the recording studio such as this, and everything from Neidlinger's Alberich, Nilsson's Brunnhilde, Hotter and London's Wotans, Windgassens's Siegfried, Flagstad's Rheingold Fricka and Ludwig's Walkure Fricka, Hoffgen's Erda, King's Siegmund, Crespin's Sieglinde, Frick's Hagen and Hunding, Bohme's characterful Fafner, Sutherland woodbird, Stolze's Mime, and the chattery and lusty Walkures, Norns, and Rheinmaidens is simply a vocal treat. That said, these individual singers' solo performances can be heard to greater advantages elsewhere, but nowhere are they captured better vocally than here. Of course, some singers such as Hotter are no longer in their prime, but what a magnificent performance he gives! His Wotan is so grand and noble that I think that the only Wotan who beats him is his younger self. Nilsson's Brunnhilde is a force of nature. Her missile-like voice is fascinating, encompassing Brunnhilde's vocal music with such ease that one would think Brunnhilde was a walk in the park. She is hands-down one of the greatest Brunnhildes ever, along with Astrid Varnay and Martha Modl. Siegfried here is sung by Windgassen, the tenor who single-handedly solved Bayreuth's heldentenor shortage for more than a decade. His voice, of course, has aged, but he is such an intelligent artist that one cannot help but listen to his Siegfried artistically portrayed without any vocal problems that today's many Siegfrieds encounter. James King is a most moving Siegmund, surpassed only by his Bohm interpretation and possibly Ramon Vinay on a good day, and his Sieglinde, Regine Crespin, is one of the most female and human singers ever to have brought the role to life. Christa Ludwig is the most sumptuous Fricka and Waltraute on disc, combining her great vocal beauty with her consummate artistry. Her singing here is nothing short of definitive. The Walkures are all great, the cast including two future Brunnhildes: Helga Dernesch and Berit Lindholm. The supporting cast of giants is also very good, with Kurt Bohme as a most characterful Fafner. I think that the Fasolt could have been sung better though. The Norns also consist of some of the most famous singers of the Wagnerian oeuvre, some of them taking the great roles in the years to come. Hoffgen sings Erda magnificently. My only quibble here is the casting choices used for Rheingold's Rheintochters. They sound a bit old. They characterize their characters playfully, but one could wish that Solti had used the maidens singing for Karajan or Bohm's recording. Otherwise, the cast is almost flawless.

Must this be your first Ring? With the care lavished on such a great project (Culshaw's attention to the miniscule details in the score), Solti's wonderful conducting, and a cast that truly represents the golden age of Wagner, I would say, this is an essential recording for anyone's collection. It is possibly the greatest achievement in the recording studio, and in many ways, the greatest recording of the century.

Wonderful recording - GLARING TECHNICAL ISSUE.......2006-06-03

Fine recording, good performance, historical in scope and a great box set. HOWEVER:

Being a musician and an opera fan, as well as being a recording engineer, I own several releases of this particular collection of recordings by London/Decca. The original recording of Das Rheingold (the first set of CDs in this boxed set of operas) dates back to the late-1950s, and stands as a landmark achievement in audio recording, especially considering that it is the first EVER complete studio recording ever made of Das Rheingold. First released on vinyl and reel-to-reel tapes in the late-50, this recording has been re-released countless times in several formats, including an excellent mid-1970s release on Dolby-B encoded reel-to-reel tape.

The CD collection has a glaring, horrible problem that I do not see mentioned ANYWHERE in these Amazon blogs, and it shocks me that no other musicians have noticed: THE ENTIRE OPERA "DAS RHEINGOLD" IN THIS COLLECTION IS OFF PITCH!! PITCH FOR THE ENTIRE OPERA IS NEARLY A SEMITONE SHARP!! NEARLY A SEMITONE!!!!!! Historically, there is an explanation for this. From my understanding of the issue, the recording was made in Vienna on American Ampex tape machines that were shipped to London/Decca for the purpose. The tape machines used synchronous motors that were erroneously not adjusted to compensate for the difference in line frequencies between the U.S. and Europe, and therefore the tape machines ran fractionally slow. Play the master tapes back on a tape machine running at the correct speed, and the master recording plays FRACTIONALLY FAST.

None of the earlier releases of this opera that I have ever heard share this issue, since all submasters of the recording would have been adjusted to compensate for the original technical error, and the adjustment done properly in the analog realm has absolutely no negativerepurcussions on the product outcome.

The CD collection portends to have returned to the original master, and that may be the issue. Nonetheless, why hasn't anyone with music knowledge raised the red flag about this egregious error in the CD release?? Why doesn't anyone notice?? I even attempted to write London/Decca about the issue and have received no reply.

Most people with good pitch will recognize when a recording is 75-80 cents (nearly a semitone) sharp!! If you are a musician, you will not be happy with Das Rheingold in this collection, due to the glaring pitch problem. A true pity, and shame on London/Decca.

LORD OF THE RINGS.......2006-03-31

This recording is the Lord of the all ring cycles...I can't say anything else...No need to explain it like you are writing a novel or talking about a legend...You have to experience it...JUST DO IT

This review can't help you...Only listening and God can help you with this stuff...

Can EL

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 All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Wagner: Tristan und Isolde/Parsifal/Die Meistersinger Von Nürnberg/Lohengrin/Tannhäuser The Best Of Wagner Wagner: The "Ring" Without Words Twilight of the Gods: The Essential Wagner Collection Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition ASIN: B000002S08 Release Date: 1992-09-29

Tracks:

1. Tannher: Overture
2. Tannher: Grand March
3. Der Fliegende Holler: Overture
4. Tristan und Isolde: Prelude to Act 1
5. Tristan und Isolde: Prelude to Act 3
6. Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Overture
7. Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Prelude to Act 3
8. Lohengrin: Prelude to Act 1

Tracks:

1. Lohengrin: Prelude to Act 3
2. Parsifal: Prelude to Act 1
3. Parsifal: Act 1 Transformation scene
4. Parsifal: Prelude to Act 3
5. Parsifal: Good Friday Music
6. Das Rheingold: Entrance of the Gods
7. Die Walkure: Ride of the Walkyries
8. Siegfried: Forest murmurs
9. Gotterdammerung: Siegfried's Rhine Journey
10. 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 All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music 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 CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Similar Items: 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:

1. Thus, We Begin In The 'Greenish Twilight' Of The Rhine
2. Float Up To The Home Of The Gods (Entrance Of The Gods Into Valhalla)
3. Fall Amongst Hammering Dwarfs 'Smithying' Away
4. Ride Donner's Thunderbolt, Crawl With The Thirst-Crazed Siegmund To The Haven...
5. In The Sound Code, We 'See' His Loving Gaze
6. Their Flight
7. Wotan's Rage
8. The Cavalcade Of Brde's Sisters, (Ride Of The Valkyries)
9. Wotan's Farewell To His Favorite Daughter, (Wotan's Farewell And Magic Fire Music)
10. Mime's Fright
11. Siegfried's Forging Of The Magic Sword
12. His Wanderings Through The Forest, (Forest Murmurs)
13. His Slaying Of The Dragon
14. The Dragon's Lament
15. Day Breaking 'Round Sigfried's And Brde's Passion
16. Siegfried's Rhine Journey, (Dawn And Sigfried's Rhine Journey)
17. Hagen's Call To His Clan
18. Siegfried And The Rhinemaidens
19. His Death And The Funeral Music, (Siegfried's Death And Funeral Music)
20. 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.

Average customer rating: Great Cover Szell's Magical And Terrific Wagner Album Fabulous Wagner! Szell has not fallen! Precise, clinical performances in dated sound

Wagner without Words Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music 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 CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Operas | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Operas | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music $6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Wagner: The "Ring" Without Words Twilight of the Gods: The Essential Wagner Collection Rossini: Overtures Verdi without Words: Grand Opera for Orchestra Opera without Words ASIN: B000002763 Release Date: 1991-07-01

Tracks:

1. Das Rheingold: Entrance Of The Gods Into Valhalla
2. Die Walkure: Ride Of The Valkyries
3. Die Walkure: Magic Fire Music
4. Siegfried: Forest Murmurs
5. Gotterdammerung: Dawn - Seigfried's Rhine Journey
6. Gotterdammerung: Siegfried's Funeral Music - Final Scene
7. Tristan And Isolde: Prelude - Love-Death
8. 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: 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 All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | 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 CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Operas | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Operas | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music 4-for-3 Opera & Vocal | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Best Of Wagner Wagner: Orchestral Works 25 Thunderous Classics Debussy: Nocturnes No1-3; Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune Wagner without Words ASIN: B0000041T7 Release Date: 1989-09-20

Tracks:

1. The Ride Of The Valkyries
2. Dawn And Siegried's Rhine Journey
3. Siegfried's Death And Funeral Music
4. Entrance Of The Gods Into Valhalla
5. Forest Murmurs
6. 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: Get the DVDs instead. The CDs just don't cut it. NIBELUNGEN "BEST BUY" A legendary release! Great music, great singing Bowled over by Barenboim - Exhilarating beauty and dramatic power in the best modern Ring ...

Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen Manufacturer: Warner Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Barenboim, Daniel | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music 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 Similar Items: Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen Wagner: Parsifal Wagner: Parsifal Wagner - Das Rheingold / Tomlinson, Clarke, Holle, Finnie, Johansson, von Kannen, Svenden, Barenboim, Bayreuth Opera Wagner - Gotterdammerung ASIN: B0009BOJSO Release Date: 2005-11-08

Tracks:

1. Vorspiel - Prelude - Prelude - John Tomlinson
2. Weia! Waga! Woge, Du Welle - John Tomlinson
3. He He! Ihr Nicker! - John Tomlinson
4. Garstig Glatter Glitschriger Glimmer! - John Tomlinson
5. Wie In Den Gliedern Brunstige Glut Mir Brennt - John Tomlinson
6. Lugt, Schwestern! - John Tomlinson
7. Was Ist's, Ihr Glatten, Das Dort So Glanzt - John Tomlinson
8. Der Welt Erbe Gewann' Ich Zu Eigen Durch Dich? - John Tomlinson
9. Wotan, Gemahl! Erwache! - John Tomlinson
10. Um Des Gatten Treue Besorgt - John Tomlinson
11. Um Des Gatten Treue Besorgt - John Tomlinson
12. Endlich Loge! - John Tomlinson
13. Immer Ist Undank Loges Lohn! - John Tomlinson
14. Dir's Zu Melden Gelobt' Ich Den Madchen - John Tomlinson
15. Hor, Wotan, Der Harrenden Wort! - John Tomlinson
16. Uber Stock Und Stein Zu Stapfen Sie Hin - John Tomlinson
17. Was Sinnt Nun Wotan So Wild? - John Tomlinson
18. Auf, Loge, Hinab Mit Mir! - John Tomlinson
19. Hehe! Hehe! Hieher! - John Tomlinson
20. Nibelheim Hier - John Tomlinson

Tracks:

1. Wer Halfe Mir? - Gunter von Kannen
2. Nehmt Euch In Acht! Alberich Naht - Gunter von Kannen
3. Zittre Und Zage, Gezahmtes Heer - Gunter von Kannen
4. Was Wollt Ihr Hier? - Gunter von Kannen
5. Die In Linder Lufte Wehn Da Oben Ihr Lebt - Gunter von Kannen
6. Wen Doch Fabt Nicht Wunder, Erfahrt Er Alberichs Werk? - Gunter von Kannen
7. Riesen-Wurm Winde Sich Ringelnd - Gunter von Kannen
8. Krumm Und Grau Krieche Krote! - Gunter von Kannen
9. Da, Vetter Sitze Du Fest! - Gunter von Kannen
10. Gezahlt Hab' Ich: Nun Labt Mich Ziehn! - Gunter von Kannen
11. Ein Goldner Ring Ragt Dir Am Finger - Gunter von Kannen
12. Ist Er Gelost? - Gunter von Kannen
13. Lauschtest Du Seinem Liebesgrub? - Gunter von Kannen
14. Lieblichste Schwester, Subeste Lust! - Gunter von Kannen
15. So Sind Wir Denn Fertig. Seid Ihr Zufrieden? - Gunter von Kannen
16. Weiche, Wotan, Weiche! - Gunter von Kannen
17. Hort, Ihr Riesen! Zuruck, Und Harret - Gunter von Kannen
18. Halt, Du Gieriger! Gonne Mir Auch Was! - Gunter von Kannen
19. Was Gleicht, Wotan, Wohl Deinem Glucke? - Gunter von Kannen
20. Schwules Gedunst Schwebt In Der Luft - Gunter von Kannen
21. Abdenlich Strahlt Der Sonne Auge - Gunter von Kannen
22. Ihrem Ende Silen Sie Zu - Gunter von Kannen
23. Rheingold! Rheingold! - Gunter von Kannen

Tracks:

1. Vorspiel - Prelude - John Tomlinson
2. Wes Herd Dies Auch Sei - John Tomlinson
3. Kuhlende Labung Gab Mir Der Quell - John Tomlinson
4. Einen Unseligen Labtest Du - John Tomlinson
5. Mud Am Herd Fand Ich Den Mann - John Tomlinson
6. Friedmund Darf Ich Nicht Heiben - John Tomlinson
7. Aus Dem Wald Treib Es Mich Fort - John Tomlinson
8. Die So Leidig Los Dir Beschied - John Tomlinson
9. Ich Weib Ein Wildes Geschlecht - John Tomlinson
10. Ein Schwert Verhieb Mir Der Vater - John Tomlinson
11. Schlafst Du, Gast? - John Tomlinson
12. Der Manner Sippe Sab Hier Im Saal - John Tomlinson
13. Winterstume Wichen Dem Wonnemond - John Tomlinson
14. Du Bist Der Lenz, Nach Dem Ich Verlangte - John Tomlinson
15. O Subeste Wonne! - John Tomlinson
16. War Walse Dein Vater - John Tomlinson
17. Siegmund Heib' Ich - John Tomlinson

Tracks:

1. Vorspiel - Prelude - John Tomlinson
2. Nun Zaume, Dein Rob, Reisige Maid! - John Tomlinson
3. Der Alte Sturm, Die Alte Muh'! - John Tomlinson
4. So Ist Es Denn Aus Mit Den Ewigen Gottern - John Tomlinson
5. Nichts Lerntest Du, Wolt - John Tomlinson
6. Was Verlangst Du? - John Tomlinson
7. Deiner Ew' Gen Gattin Heilige Ehre - John Tomlinson
8. Schlimm, Furcht' Ich, Schlob Der Streit - John Tomlinson
9. Als Junger Liebe Lust Mir Verblich - John Tomlinson
10. Ein Andres Ist's: Achte Es Wohl - John Tomlinson
11. Ao Nimmst Du Von Siegmund Den Sieg? - John Tomlinson
12. So Nimm Meinen Segen, Niblungen - Sohn - John Tomlinson

Tracks:

1. So Sah Ich Siegvater Nie - John Tomlinson
2. raste Nun Hier; Gonne Dir Enweihte! - John Tomlinson
3. Hinweg! Flieh Die Enweihte! - John Tomlinson
4. Wo Bist Du, Siegmund? - John Tomlinson
5. Siegmund! Sieh Auf Mich! - John Tomlinson
6. Du Sahest Der Walkure Sehrenden Blick - John Tomlinson
7. Weh! Weh! Subestes Weib - John Tomlinson
8. So Jung Und Schon Erschimmerest Du Holden Schmerz - John Tomlinson
9. ZAuberfest Bezahmt EinSchlaf Der Holden Schmerz - John Tomlinson
10. Wehwalt! Wehwalt! - John Tomlinson

Tracks:

1. Vorspiel - Prelude - Hojotoho! Hojotoho! - John Tomlinson
2. Schutzt Mich Und Helft In Hochster Not! - John Tomlinson
3. Nicht Sehre Dich Sorge Um Mich - John Tomlinson
4. So Fliehe Denn Eilig Und Fliehe Allein! - John Tomlinson
5. Wo Ist Brunnhild', Wo Die Verbrecherin? - John Tomlinson
6. Hier Bin Ich, Vater: Gebiete Die Strafe - John Tomlinson
7. War Es So Schmahlich, Was Ich Verbach - John Tomlinson
8. Als Fricka Den Eignen Sinn Dir Entfremdet - John Tomlinson
9. So Tatest Ein Edles Geschlecht - John Tomlinson
10. Du Zeugtest Ein Edles Geschlecht - John Tomlinson
11. Was hast Du Erdacht, Dab Ich Erdulde? - John Tomlinson
12. Der Augen Leuchtendes Paar - John Tomlinson
13. Der Augen Lechtendes Paar - John Tomlinson
14. Loge, Hor! Lausche Hieher! - John Tomlinson

Tracks:

1. Orchestervorspiel - Prelude - Gunter von Kannen
2. Zwangvolle Plage! Muh' Ohne Zweck! - Gunter von Kannen
3. Hoiho! Hoiho! Hau Ein! Hau Ein! - Gunter von Kannen
4. Da Hast Du Die Stucken, Schandluicher Stumper - Gunter von Kannen
5. Als Zullendes Kind Zog Ich Dich Auf - Gunter von Kannen
6. Vieles Lehrtest Du, Mime - Gunter von Kannen
7. Mein Kind, Das Lehrt Dich Kennen - Gunter von Kannen
8. Wo hast Du, Mime, Dein Minniges Weibchen - Gunter von Kannen
9. Einst Lag Wimmernd Ein Weib - Gunter von Kannen
10. Und Diese Stucken Sollst Du Mmir Schmieden - Gunter von Kannen
11. Da Sturmt Er Hin! - Gunter von Kannen
12. Heil Dir, Weiser Schmied! - Gunter von Kannen
13. Hier Sitz' Ich Am Herd Und Setze Mein Haupt - Gunter von Kannen
14. Du Ruhrtest Dich Viel Auf Der Erde Rucken - Gunter von Kannen
15. Viel, Wanderer, Weibt Du Mir Aus Der Erde Nabelnest - Gunter von Kannen
16. Viel, Wanderer, Weibt Du Mir Von Der Erde Rauhem Rucken - Gunter von Kannen
17. Fragen Und Haupt Hast Du Gelost - Gunter von Kannen
18. Nun, Ehrlicher Zwerg, Sag MIr Zum Ersten - Gunter von Kannen
19. Wie Doch Genau Das Geschlecht Du Mir Nennst - Gunter von Kannen
20. Ha Ha Ha Ha! Der Witzgste Bist Du Unter Den Weisen - Gunter von Kannen
21. Dreimal Solltest Du Fragen, Dremal Stand Ich Luft - Gunter von Kannen
22. Verfluchtes Du Nie Im Finstren Wald - Gunter von Kannen
23. Heda! Du Fauler! Bist Du Nun Fertig? - Gunter von Kannen
24. Fuhltest Du Nie Im Finstren Wald - Gunter von Kannen
25. Sonderlich Seltsam Mub Das Sein! - Gunter von Kannen
26. Feine Finten Weib Mir Der Faule - Gunter von Kannen
27. Notung! Notung! Neidliches Schwert! - Gunter von Kannen
28. Bald Schwing' Ich Dich Als Mein Schwert - Gunter von Kannen
29. Hoho! Hoho! Hahei! - Gunter von Kannen

Tracks:

1. Orchestervorspiel - Prelude - Gunter von Kannen
2. In Wald Und Nacht Vor Neidhohl Halt' Ich Wacht - Gunter von Kannen
3. Wer Naht Dort Schimmernd Im Schatten? - Gunter von Kannen
4. Mit Mir Nicht, Hadre Mit Mime - Gunter von Kannen
5. Fafner! Fafner! Erwache, Wurm! - Gunter von Kannen
6. Wir Sind Zur Stelle! - Gunter von Kannen
7. Dab Der Mein Vater Nicht Ist, Wie Guhl' Ich Vater Nicht Ist, Wie Fuhl' Ich Mich Drob Froh! - Gunter von Kannen
8. Dab Der Mein Vater Nicht Ist, Wie Fuhl Ich Drob So Froh! - Gunter von Kannen
9. Aber - Wie Sah Meine Mutter Wohl Aus? - Gunter von Kannen
10. Meine Mutter - Ein Menschenweib! - Gunter von Kannen

Tracks:

1. Haha! Da Hatte Mein Lied Mir Was Liebes Erblasen! - Gunter von Kannen
2. Da Lieg, Neidleichst Du Eilig Und Schlau - Gunter von Kannen
3. Zur Kunde taugt Kein Toter - Gunter von Kannen
4. Wohin Schleichst Du Eilig Und Schlau - Gunter von Kannen
5. Was Ihr Mir Nutzt, Weib Ich Nicht - Gunter von Kannen
6. Willkommen Siegfried! - Gunter von Kannen
7. Sieh, Du Bist Mude Von Harten Last! - Gunter von Kannen
8. Neides Zoll Zahlt Notung - Gunter von Kannen
9. Heib Ward Mir Von Der Harten Last! - Gunter von Kannen
10. Nun Sing! Ich Lausche Dem Gesang - Gunter von Kannen
11. Orchestrevorspiel - Prelude - Gunter von Kannen
12. Wache, Wala! Wala! Erwach! - Gunter von Kannen
13. Stark Ruft Das Lied - Gunter von Kannen
14. Mein Schlaf ist Traumen - Gunter von Kannen

Tracks:

1. Dir Unweisen Ruf' Ich Ins Ohr - Gunter von Kannen
2. Dort Seh' Ich Siegfried Nahn - Gunter von Kannen
3. Was lachst Du Mich Aus? Alter Frager! - Gunter von Kannen
4. Kenntest Du Mich, Kuhner Sprob, Den Schimpf Spartest Du Mir! - Gunter von Kannen
5. Mit Zerfochntner Waffe Floh Mir Der Feige? - Gunter von Kannen
6. Selige Ode Auf Sonniger Hoh! - Gunter von Kannen
7. Das ist Kein Mann! - Gunter von Kannen
8. Heil Dir, Sonne - Gunter von Kannen
9. O Siegfried! Siegfried! Seliger Held! - Gunter von Kannen
10. Dort Seh' Ich Grane, Mein Selig Rob - Gunter von Kannen
11. Kein Gott Nahte Mir Je! - Gunter von Kannen
12. Ewig War Ich, Ewig Bin Ich - Gunter von Kannen
13. Dich Lieb' Ich: O Liebtest Mich Du! - Gunter von Kannen
14. lachend Mub Ich Dich Lieben - Gunter von Kannen

Tracks:

1. Dir Unweisen Ruf' Ich Ins Ohr - Gunter von Kannen
2. Dort Seh' ich Siegfried Nahn - Gunter von Kannen
3. Was Lachst Du Mich Aus? Alter Frager! - Gunter von Kannen
4. Kenntest Du Mich, Kuhner Sporb, Den Schimpf Spartest Du Mir! - Gunter von Kannen
5. Mit Zerfochtner Waffe Floh Mir Der Feige? - Gunter von Kannen
6. Selige Ode Auf Sonniger Hoh! - Gunter von Kannen
7. Das Ist Kein Mann! - Gunter von Kannen
8. Heil Ist Kein Mann! - Gunter von Kannen
9. O Siegfried! Siegfried! Seliger Held! - Gunter von Kannen
10. Dort Seh' Ich Grane, Mein Selig Rob - Gunter von Kannen
11. Kein Gott Nahte Mir Je! - Gunter von Kannen
12. Ewifg War Ich, Ewig Bin Ich - Gunter von Kannen
13. Dich Lieb' ich: O Liebtest Mich Du! - Gunter von Kannen
14. Lachend Mub Ich Dich Lieben - Gunter von Kannen

Tracks:

1. Wer Ist Gibichs Sohn? - Gunter von Kannen
2. Begrube Froh, O Held, Die Halle Meines Vaters - Gunter von Kannen
3. Wilkommen, Gast, In Gibichs Haus! - Gunter von Kannen
4. Deinem Bruder Bot Ich Mich Zum Mann - Gunter von Kannen
5. Bluhenden Lebens Labendes Blut Traufelt' Ich In Den Trank - Gunter von Kannen
6. Frisch Auf Die Zur Wacht - Gunter von Kannen
7. Altegewohntes Gerausch Raunt Meinem Ohr Die Ferene - Gunter von Kannen
8. Altegewohntes Gerausch Raunt Meinem Ohr Ferne - Gunter von Kannen
9. Hore Mit Sinn, Was Ich Dir Sage! - Gunter von Kannen
10. Welch Banger Traume Maren Meldset Du Traurige Mir! - Gunter von Kannen
11. Blitzend Gewolk, Vom Wind Getragen, Sturme Dahin - Gunter von Kannen
12. Brunnhild! Ein Freier Kam, Den Dein Feuer Nicht Erschreckt - Gunter von Kannen

Tracks:

1. Orchestervorspiel - Prelude - Gunter von Kannen
2. Schlafst Du, Hagen, Mein Sohn? - Gunter von Kannen
3. Der Ewigen Macht, Wer Erbte Sie? - Gunter von Kannen
4. Hoiho, Hagen! Muder Mann! - Gunter von Kannen
5. Heib Mich Willkommen, Gibichskind! - Gunter von Kannen
6. Hoiho! Hoihohoho! Ihr Gibchsmannen, Machet Euch Auf! - Gunter von Kannen
7. Was Tost Das Horn? - Gunter von Kannen
8. Rustet Euch Wohl Und Rastet Nicht - Gunter von Kannen
9. Heil Dir, Gunther! - Gunter von Kannen
10. Gegrubt Esi, Teurer HeldL Gegrubt, Holde Schwester! - Gunter von Kannen
11. Einen Ring Sah Ich An Deiner Hand - Gunter von Kannen
12. Betrug! Betrug! Schandlichster Betrug!! - Gunter von Kannen
13. Achtest Du So Der Eignen Ehre? - Gunter von Kannen
14. Helle Wehr! Heilige Waffe! - Gunter von Kannen
15. Hilf, Donner - Gunter von Kannen
16. Welches Unholds List Liegt Hier Verhohlen? - Gunter von Kannen
17. Wer Bietet Mir Nun Das Hier Verhohlen? - Gunter von Kannen
18. Auf, Gunther, Edler Gibichung! - Gunter von Kannen
19. Mub Sein Tod Sie Betruben, Verhehlt Sei Ihr Die Tat - Gunter von Kannen

Tracks:

1. Orchestervorspiel - Prelude - Gunter von Kannen
2. Frau Sonne Sendet Lichte Strahlen - Gunter von Kannen
3. Ein Albe Fuhrte Mich Irr - Gunter von Kannen
4. Noch Bin Ich Beutelos - Gunter von Kannen
5. Behalt Ihn, Held, Und Wahr Ihn Wohl - Gunter von Kannen
6. Ihr Listigen Frauen, Labt Das Sein! - Gunter von Kannen
7. Kommt, Schwestern! - Gunter von Kannen
8. Hoiho! - Gunter von Kannen
9. Trink, Gunther, Trink! - Gunter von Kannen
10. Mime Hieb Ein Murrischer Zwerg - Gunter von Kannen
11. In Leid Zu Dem WipfelLauscht' Ich Hinauf - Gunter von Kannen
12. Erratst Du Auch Dieser raben Geraun? - Gunter von Kannen
13. Brunnhilde! Heilige Braut! - Gunter von Kannen
14. Orchesterzwischenspiel: Traurzug Interlude: Funeral Procession Interlude Orchestral: MArche Funebre - Gunter von Kannen
15. War Des Sein Horn? Nein! Noch Kehrt Er Nicht Heim - Gunter von Kannen
16. Hoiho! Hoiho! Wacht Auf! Wacht Auf! - Gunter von Kannen
17. Siegfried - Siegfried Erschlagen! - Gunter von Kannen
18. Schweigt Eures Jammers Jauchzenden Schwall - Gunter von Kannen
19. Starke Scheite Schichtet Mir Dort Am Rande Des Rheins - Gunter von Kannen
20. O Ihr, Der Eide Ewige Huter! - Gunter von Kannen
21. Mein Erbe Nun Nehm' Ich Zu Eigen - Gunter von Kannen
22. Fliegt Heim, Ihr Raben! - Gunter von Kannen
23. Grane, Mein Rob, Sei Mir Gegrubt - Gunter von Kannen
24. Zuruck Vom Ring! - Gunter von Kannen

Album Description

The production of a new Ring at the Bayreuth Festival is an event that takes place every six years. Bayreuth recordings of the complete cycle are rare; this is only the third official audio recording and the second filmed version. The Kupfer/Barenboim Ring was performed over a five-year period and recorded at the conclusion when the "Bayreuth Workshop" had raised "the quality of the performance to an almost unsurpassable level" (Der Tagesspiegel).

Customer Reviews:

Get the DVDs instead. The CDs just don't cut it........2007-06-15

As Teldec and its parent company bid farewell to the CD era by shoveling out their back catalog at bargain prices, please go straight to the DVDs and forget this.

This Ring's acting is committed, for which the director, Harry Kupfer, gets the credit. Occasionally Maestro Barenboim balances an orchestral chord or two in a novel way, for which he can take credit. Otherwise this is poor stuff.

Daniel Barenboim, for all his idolatry of Wilhelm Furtwangler, has never figured out how to get from here to there with any feeling of naturalness or inevitability. His awkward pacing makes him no better than mediocre among the Wagner conductors of the last 50 years. He is not at all competitive with Krauss, Keilberth, Kempe, Konwitschny, Bohm, Sawallisch, Solti or Karajan, all of whom make better sense of Wagner's ebb and flow. He is not even competitive with Leinsdorf or Leitner or Hollreiser. A few pretty sounds from the pit do not compensate for a persistent inability to make one section of music follow organically from another.

The singing in this production is bearable on TV, but not so on CD. Siegfried Jerusalem acquits his parched, undersized Siegfried with dignity. However, Anne Evans sounds tremulous and small as Brunnhilde and John Tomlinson declaims brutally at the expense of the musical line, to the utter destruction of Wotan's Farewell. The two of them sound like an Annina and Baron Douphol out of "La Traviata" who've been encouraged by treacherous management to stray out of their league.

Nadine Secunde as Sieglinde is in terrible vocal shape, and Poul Elming has trouble with the top notes as Siegmund, the lowest lying tenor part Wagner ever wrote.

Watch them on DVD instead, and if you must have a CD set, pick up the Bohm at a bargain price, where only a few singers have wobbles instead of all of them, and most have vocal reserves to call upon instead of sounding like they're about to die at any minute. The end of "Walkure" Act One makes for a devastating comparison - Leonie Rysanek and James King are far better.

Then save up your lunch money and get the Keilberth Ring on Testament. Listen to Hans Hotter actually sing Wotan's Farewell, and compare it to John Tomlinson's parlando bellowing. Hotter is so far superior, they're not in the same Valhalla.

A Ferrari and a lawnmower can both do 4 mph. But one can open up with security and confidence and dazzle you, while the other can't ever do any more than 4 mph. That's the difference between Birgit Nilsson's all-enveloping Immolation Scene, where she sounds like she could do the whole thing over again as an encore, and tiny-voiced Anne Evans, who sounds like she'd collapse just at the suggestion.

This set and the Boulez should both survive into a long future as DVDs, but the CDs for both are inadequate, even annoying souvenirs of the weakest part of their productions, the singing.

NIBELUNGEN "BEST BUY".......2007-02-04

Here's a staggering bargain.

These much-praised Bayreuth performances have been available on Teldec since 1994; now Warner has reissued them in a single box and they're an irresistible value: 1/2 the cost, 1/3 the shelf space, still accompanied by 4 deluxe booklets (containing complete German librettos, William Mann's English translations, essays, interviews, performance photos, and 100+ leitmotifs in the margins), plus there's a bonus DVD with generous excerpts from the Unitel video. Rival sets with comparable amenities (Karajan, Solti, Goodall, Keilberth) sell for 2-3 times as much. Budget-priced competitors (the admirable Janowski set, the more variable traversals of Boehm, Levine, Haitink, and Sawallisch) offer only meager pamphlets with plot summaries.

ENGINEERING

Unitel filmed this production during off hours at the 1991-92 Bayreuth festivals - the full staging with no audience, performances featuring live-event energy under controlled conditions. The digital stereo is the lushest I've enjoyed on any Ring recording: Bayreuth's famed acoustic is palpable, there's real room sound, immediacy, and three-dimensionality (but a shade more depth and airiness in '91 - compare the timpani figures in the Todesverkundigung and Siegfried's death scene). Stage noises are mostly unobtrusive: occasional faint shufflings, Hunding banging assorted props in Walkuere, otherwise comparatively few distractions.

CONDUCTOR & ORCHESTRA

These CDs furnish some of the most sumptuous instrumental and choral work you'll hear on ANY Wagner recording. Furtwaengler may be one of his deities, but here Barenboim is the master colorist, closer to Karajan, even to Stokowski. At Bruennhilde's awakening the strings are creamy; launching Goetterdaemmerung Act 3, the brass have a cushioned radiance. More than any recent competitor, Barenboim is supple and specific from beat to beat, turning up subtleties heard nowhere else. In Rhinegold sc. 2 where the gods grow old: the strings sound numb, drained, and fragile. Or Fasolt's murder: an ugly surprise, the curse motive in the brass icy and vibratoless. Or the woodwind asides throughout Siegfried Act 1: Mozartean in their mischief. Or the fatal turning point at "In kampfe nicht": while Bruennhilde teeters on the edge of the pit, the whole orchestra holds its breath. As for the big showpieces - Rheingold's coda, the valkyrie ride, the Siegfried Act 3 prelude - they're breathtakingly powerful yet deft and transparent. In short, there's no more illuminating statement of this vast music on disk.

CAST

The production introduced an all-new, prime-of-life cast, and for continuous listenability Barenboim's lineup outpoints even Janowski's. With his huge, dark, rolling sound, Tomlinson is a stupendous Wotan, every inch the fearsome warlord of myth. Yes, he's a true bass and his high Fs are the end of the line, but he's a consummate theater animal, luxuriant in the "Abendlich strahlt" and Farewell, hypnotic with his big interior monologue, sly and amusing in his Wanderer persona; unquestionably this is a major portrayal. As Bruennhilde, Evans sounds young, sensitive, and technically impeccable - dead-center intonation, effortless slurs in the war cry, consistently lovely tone, and a glowing top that easily rides the orchestra. Her caliber is light for the role, but in the long-lined lyric passages she yields to nobody: "War es so schmaehlich" and "Ewig war ich" are as poised and poignant as I've heard them.

As lead tenor, Jerusalem's adroit musicianship, vivid declamation, and burnished tone are a further pleasure, and he deserves an award for playing his reed-pipe scene in earnest rather than for laughs - Siegfried's loneliness and befuddlement become sincerely touching. True, his voice wearies during the wooing sequence, but he's on form for all of Goetterdaemmerung. Also, his Volsung parents are an exceptional pair: Elming's tenor is fresh and gleaming, Secunde has a sultry soprano, and along with Hoelle's ferocious Hunding, they do exhilarating work in Walkuere Act 1.

Hoelle's Fasolt is better natured but just as granitic; in fact the low voices here are close to superb: Kang is insidious as Fafner and Hagen - a fine-grained, well-knit instrument from top to bottom. As for Alberich, von Kannen is positively virtuosic: his sound isn't plush, but it's firm and in charge over both octaves, he sells the text with immense skill, and the curse is white-hot. Only Brinkmann (Gunther) disappoints, a good baritone behaving badly - attractive in his ariosos, pinched and strained when he tries to get dramatic.

The rest are competitive. Clark's reedy tenor doesn't keep his Loge and Mime from being flamboyantly entertaining. Bundschuh's dusky timbre suggests a forty-something Gutrune, but she's decent listening. Barenboim's other women are all capable: Meier's Waltraute boasts crisp diction, compact tone, and flawless tuning, Svenden's Erda is similarly alert and appealing, Finnie's a high-energy Fricka with potent top notes. Since these ladies double the bit parts, we also get world-class teams of norns, valkyries, and rhinemaidens.

VERDICT

In sum, the total achievement here is formidable - unsurpassed engineering, top-drawer singing, exquisite orchestral playing, uniquely evocative conducting ... and lavish libretto booklets. Verdict: the Ring with the most bang for your buck.

A legendary release!.......2006-12-16

You may argue I am exaggerating quite a lot when I affirm this may be the greatest achievement of Daniel Barenboim as Wagnerian conductor until this date, but I think I am right. And you know as well as I, about the countless and praising epithets around the world.

This superb collection must be included as an obligated reference at the moment you decide to have one of the most complete and extraordinary documents in the Opera History. There is any hole; a superb cast Tomlinson is one the greatest Wotan, the memorable stages, the ravishing illumination, the impressive level of expressiveness of every single character, the incisiveness of the main motifs, the grimace language, the superb eloquence of every little line and the absorbing dramatis personae make of this excellent set a must-have.

Don't miss it under any single pretext this portentous and so long expected Ring.

Great music, great singing.......2006-10-08

First things first, it is difficult to think of a more marvelously conducted Ring cycle in stereo sound than this version. Levine's comes close, though as good as the met is, the bayreuth is in peak form, and BB's conducting lends itself to the music better than Levines slower, though valid, tempos. A good place for amateurs to compare is the giant theme at the entrance of our buddies, Fasolt and Fafner. Levine is almost laughably slow, while BB is at a walking pace(and for those who have seen the DVD, the BB giants are three times the size of the METs-though the mets are superior in voice_Matti Salminen).
Most rings live and die with Wotan. For those who are introduced to the ring with Levines DVD, it is difficult to tolerate anything less than James Morris' outstanding singing, full of full throated and tender legato which tends to reveal a caring fatherly Wotan. Compare Morris and BB's Wotan in Der Alte Sturme and you will find Tomlinsons over annunciation quite unqualified and interfering with the natural beauty and flow of the music. Though overall Tomlinson doesn quite match up to Morris, he is an outstanding Wotan overall. His voice really grows on you as the cycle progresses and it is always apparent how well Tomlinson knows Wotan inside and out. His farewell at the end of Walkure is marvelous, a true test for any Wotan, and he really lets go emotionally and vocally. Despite starting off in rheingold with, as stated before, a tendency to talk instead of sing, which is natural and almost unnoticable when watching the DVD, I tended to long for Morris or Hotter's interpretation with Krauss and KNA. But as this review will be for amateur only, I will not go into the old recording very much and I will also consider price.
BB's brunnhilde is much finer than Behrens on dvd, though on the cd, behrens voice is more powerful than it was several years later when the DVDs were recorded(she is beyond her prime in both).
Of all modern versions, for those who are new to the ring, I would recomend Levine's DVD versions first and foremost. Despite Behrens, everything else is first class. The production is romantic so that first timers will see a something similar to what Wagner intended and what their mind's eye may be predicting. The BB dvd's are complete polar opposites of that visual interpretation, not for those new to the ring.
After aquiring Levine's dvd, I would recomend this set, over Solti's(yes, over Solti's and Karajan's) though not over Bohms. Bohm happens to play with the same orchestra which is interesting to hear this always superb group forty years apart. Though the Bohm doesnt have Hotter, and all who are interested in the Ring must, MUST, hear Hotter's portrayal, though STAY AWAY FROM SOLTI"S DIE WALKURE_it is dreadful after the first act and Hotter is past his prime and sounds as if he is being recorded in an underwater grotto.
For those new to the ring
1. Buy Levine's DVD set
2. Buy this or Bohm's on CD.
fine

Bowled over by Barenboim - Exhilarating beauty and dramatic power in the best modern Ring ..........2006-08-27

Over some years now I have been slowly discovering the daunting world that is Der Ring des Nibelungen, beginning - indeed - with Das Rheingold. I came to Wagner's Ring des Nibelungen completely fresh and unknowing, at first (probably) only having ever heard some 'bleeding chunks' of music from the operas (actually, my first real 'confrontation' with music from the 'Ring' was the gorgeous Erato album with Daniel Barenboim conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which I love, so that probably influenced my expectations about this music ...), and slowly heading on from listening to just the bits and parts I liked best - only casually wandering from one opera to another without knowing the whole intricate and complex poem/text/libretto - to listening to the acts more and more 'from beginning to end', slowly getting a closer grasp of the complex and convoluted (musical) storyline ...
In fact, my sympathy, appreciation, affection and ultimately love for Der Ring des Nibelungen in general is in fact directly related to my love and appreciation for the 'Barenboim Ring', recorded in 1991 (Das Rheingold & Gotterdammerung) and 1992 (Die Walkure & Siegfried). With me, things as big and complex as the 'Ring' have to take time to grow on me, and the Barenboim Ring has captivated me from the start. Why I especially love the 'Barenboim Ring' has much to do with the singing, but more about that a little later. First a word or two about maybe the greatest 'stars of the show' here: conductor and orchestra ...

ORCHESTRA AND CONDUCTOR. From what I have read, Daniel Barenboim seems to be becoming accepted among the ranks of the truly great Wagner conductors. It is of course also a matter of taste what approach one loves best in this music, but anyhow, aside from any 'accepted views', I have just always thought his Wagner the best. Just a matter of taste, indeed.
To me, maestro Barenboim makes the music sound approprately massive and stately, but at the same time does he somehow maintain (how truly special!) an orchestral sound that is somehow crisply articulated, fresh and transparent, but resplendent with saturated color. As a complete musical 'illiterate' (I can't read music) I don't have a grasp of the musical 'reasoning' that undoubtably must lie behind maestro Barenboim's approach, but to me it all 'feels' just right and in complete harmony. A grand but clear-headed vision. A Parthenon or a Pantheon in music. I don't know, but it may also have to do with the (custom built ;-) Bayreuther Festspielhaus' superbly appropriate acoustics, causing a kind of nicely rounded, resounding but polished sound.
Also, maestro Barenboim's tempi are generally exactly right for my own taste: never too fast (why do some people find his tempi too slow?) but always 'charged' with the right amount of dramatic tension. (But then again, I can't read music, so how would I know what would be the 'right' tempo? Oh, well ...) A clear-headed, but at the same time sweeping, grand vision of Wagner's music that does not revel in the music for its own sake, but above all things lets the music speak as a purely dramatic narrative to underline and focus on the drama that is going on on stage, with some of the most beautiful and at the same time dramatic singers I ever heard.
The orchestra must also, in a sense, be able to 'speak for itself' in this music, and indeed it does so here, as eloquently as one could ever wish, I believe, and sometimes so enthousiastically, that voices are slightly drowned out, even, by its sheer power in climaxes :-)

THE SINGERS. Often, emotions color my view of what I see and hear on certain moments. It's just how (and who) I am. And also, matters of personal taste come 'in the way'. I will not try to apologize for either ;-) But I will try to describe as clearly as I am able - however lacking and personally biased the end result may be - what I find so wonderful about this recorded performance of Der Ring des Nibelungen.
Well, most of the singers are to my ears simply the best for their parts, utterly convincing, and often very moving. All of the 'main characters' are singers that I like or indeed love. We have, among many others, the towering talents of the excellent actor-singer Graham Clark (Mime), the energetic and heroic Siegfried by Siegfried Jerusalem, the enormously expressive, deeply resounding, deeply emotional Wotan by John Tomlinson, and we have the beautifully humane and warmly sympathetic Brunnhilde by Anne Evans. I truly adore Anne Evans' sweet but intelligent Brunnhilde. Her singing is engagingly sympathetic and completely captivating. In climaxes her voice really soars (for example the 'immolation scene'), and she never sounds strained, but she is I think at her best especially when allowed to really show all her nuanced beauty and color during softer passages like Brunnhilde's 'duets' with Wotan or Siegmund (take for example "Siegmund! sieh auf mich!"). I am very fond of Siegfried Jerusalem's Siegfried, and singing together with Anne Evans' Brunnhilde in Act III of Siegfried and Act I of Gotterdammerung, they sound like the true 'dream-pair' to me, reaching - in 'threesome' with the orchestra - highest states of harmony and ecstacy. Also, the 'duets' of Wotan and Brunnhilde in Die Walkure are powerful, but at the same time deeply emotionally engaged. (Seeing them together on the DVD's certainly adds to the experience!) Furthermore, I very much enjoy Linda Finnie's full-voiced, bitingly aggressive Fricka (just great in her emotional confrontation with Wotan in Act II of Die Walkure) and Birgitta Svenden's resounding and melancholy Erda ...

AS A SIDE NOTE. Anyone who loves this specific audio-only version of Der Ring des Nibelungen, but has never before seen it (like I myself until recently), should also try the magnificent DVD's of these operas. I for one was truly enraptured, at last also being able to SEE all of the artists that I have come to love, singing (and acting) together within this flabbergastingly evocative stage design! The design is often quite bare, with completely dark background (indeed a feeling of a 'road into nowhere'), which causes, with this particular viewer at least, a sense of timelesness, puzzlement and even of mystery(!), which IMHO is quite appropriate for these larger-than-life operas, the abstractness of the design leaving a lot to your imagination and making them feel more timeless or 'pure', above and beyond any 'Zeitgeist', allowing the listener to focus more on their essential ideas and (inter-personal) emotions.
Talking about emotions, what an enormous 'bonus' to see for example John Tomlinson sing/act his part! His expressive acting does add even more depth to his already deeply moving, highly charged singing. Now that I am finally also able to see this 'Ring' on DVD, it really IMHO enhances the experience of listening to 'just' this audio-only version, which to me is also a 'complete and full' experience in itself, using a bit of imagination (but then again, how much imagination does one need with this great music, so gorgeously performed?), being able to visualize with the mind's eye the close interaction between Wotan, Brunnhilde, Siegfried, et al.

THE RECORDED SOUND. Just a few comments about the sound on these CD's to end this review. I think it is the best ever for this format (and for as far as I have ever heard). It really fills up the whole aural stage lengthwise and sideways! The effect is as if you were sitting front row seat, I guess. Every orchestral nuance and inflection is brilliantly and sumptuously captured and reproduced on CD.
The recorded sound has always been so deep, sonorous and full as to really at some moments take your breath away, especially in the way that the singers' voices are clearly defined (almost three-dimensionally) within the acoustic space (the depth of the Bayreuth stage is almost palpable). But have they maybe remastered it? It seems to me that the sound on this re-issue is even clearer and finer than the original 1993 Teldec issue, with the acoustics of the Bayreuth theatre almost palpable, enhancing the characteristicly sonorous sound of the Bayreuther Festspielorchester. It is as if orchestral textures are even more velvety and clear and finely balanced. The singers seem to be even more in focus as well. (This also means that we are able to hear a little bit more of the whispering of the prompter in Gotterdammerung, which for some could be a distraction, I can imagine.)
Also, I personally think that it is a blessing that this is a 'studio'-recording, so that the sense of mystery (and 'suspension of disbelief') is never broken by intruding audience noises. This I find especially necessary during the softer passages and intense dialogues between for example Brunnhilde & Siegmund and Wotan & Brunnhilde ...

All in all, a magnificent set, this 'Barenboim Ring' - truly a musical milestone - and truly indispensable (beside the likewise indispensible DVD's)! For better or worse, I have really fallen in love with this 'Ring', mostly for the gorgeous (exquisitely recorded) orchestral sound under Daniel Barenboim and the magnificent leading roles. And now, last but not least, you can have the whole 'Barenboim Ring' on 14 CD's (+ bonus DVD with highlights) for the price of no more than about 4!
(Postscriptum: the customer image I added is taken from the DVD of Siegfried, and not from the bonus DVD in this set.)

Average customer rating: My own life is behind these recordings Don't go for broke unless you're a die-hard Stokowski fan More Sensational Stokowski

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Customer Reviews:

My own life is behind these recordings.......2007-06-10

I can assure that one of the reason I love music is due to these recordings of Mr. Stokowsky. My father had the record of Scherezade and, though my father was an ignorant about cultivated music, he knew very well what to appreciate. We never argued when I played Beethoven's first symphony so loud, however, he always did when I played Rolling Stones so loud. I adore that he taught me to appreciate Rimsky-korsakov's music as well as Tchaikovsky's Capriccio Spagnolo so young. He was wise, on his way. I can't help to cry for him, listening to Borodin's Palatsovian dances, because, it is great music, and, having into account that I used to love it by Mr. Stokowsky's work, it doubles my crying and my remembrance. He loved the record so much. I love you, daddy.

Don't go for broke unless you're a die-hard Stokowski fan.......2006-09-22

When Stokowski began to make Phase 4 recordings for Decca in 1964, he was already 82, but he hadn't lost his energy or his tendency to shape music in outlandish ways. I mostly love him, but this box set duplicates recordings that can be found on the Cala label, which has been releasing everything Stokowski in the world, and on Decca single CDs if you go to the used market.

I mention this because the whole box set, Vol. 2 in the Original Masters series, continas some forgettable performances, in particular the rhythmically slack Beethoven Sym. 5 and 7, the over-highlighted Schubert 'Unfinished,' and a live Brahms First that seems manic and forced too much of the time. However, if you think of Stokowski having little to offer in the German classics, here is an exceptional Beethoven Ninth, one of the best things from his late career and wonderful in every way.

Decca knows that the crowd-pleasers are the gaudy, multi-miked Phase 4 versions of Scheherazade, as bombastic as you could imagine, and lots of Russian fare, including Stoki's signature synthesis from Boris Godunov. The 1812 Over., by the way, isn't over the top and yet needed to be. Finally, this German-Russian collection contains a thrilling disc of Wagner excerpts, much of it grossly over-miked, but at its core containing very impressive, vital interpretations.

In all, I'd select the Wagner, the Beethoven Ninth, and the legendary Scheherazade as the best things here. Buy them separately or take the plunge for this whole box, your choice.

More Sensational Stokowski.......2005-06-08

It took me a while to purchase this six-disc set in UNI's "Original Masters" series, but I finally did this past weekend. Classical music fans seem to either love or hate Leopold Stokowski (I, of course, love him), and unfortunately much of "Decca Recordings 1964-75, Volume 2" will be old news to serious devotees of the conductor. While I'm not familiar with the complete Decca back-catalog, at least three full discs worth of material have been previously available in the old "Weekend Classics" series -- Beethoven's 5th & 7th, Beethoven's 9th, and the Wagner selections. (I'm pretty sure the Rimsky-Korsakov material on disc five, and the Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky pieces on disc six have been issued prior too.) This is good news for those who came to collecting classical CDs late (like me) because while the Wagner is still available individually, the Beethovens have been fetching absurd prices in the Amazon Marketplace. The only material receiving its first international release is contained on disc 3 -- a Schubert "Unfinished" with the London Philharmonic from 1969 and a rousing live performance of the Brahms 1st with the London Symphony on the occasion of the conductor's 60th anniversary leading that body. The original instruments crowd will surely turn up their noses at these legendary performances, but me, I'll just sit back and listen to some more sensational sounding Stokowski.

Average customer rating: Conversion Not to be missed Greatly improved sound, excellent performances Szell and Karajan were freinds!!! A classic Szell recording beautifully restored

Great Orchestral Highlights from The Ring of the Nibelungs / Szell, Cleveland Orchestra (SACD) Wagner , Cleveland Orchestra , and George Szell Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Cleveland Orchestra | ( C ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music 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 Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Dvorák: The Slavonic Dances [SACD] Dvorak Symphony No. 7 & Carnival Overture & Smetana Die Moldau / Szell, Cleveland Orchestra (SACD) Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 39 & 40; Exsultate, Jubilate [SACD] Bach: The Four Great Toccatas and Fugues [SACD] Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition, A Night on Bald Mountain, and Other Russian Showpieces [Hybrid SACD] ASIN: B000044U19 Release Date: 2000-01-11

Customer Reviews:

Conversion .......2005-03-07

This is a very good recording of these works - all from Wagner's Nibelungen operas. Prior to purchasing this SACD, I did not totally agree with Szell's approach to Wagner. His approach, I thought, was too clear, too lacking on the bass line, and the accoustic at Severance Hall didn't help much. This SACD clarifies Szell in a very favorable way. Severance Hall doesn't sound nearly as bad of a place to record as I previously thought (though it's still debatable whether Szell's modifications to the hall in the late 50's were an improvement...) and the listener hears a much more balanced orchestral sonority, one which is without any congestion, clear as a bell, so to speak.

The performances themselves are top-flight - no question, by the late 1960's, the Cleveland Orchestra was the best orchestra in the U.S., outgunning everyone else. Szell lets the music speak for itself - no indulging in one's own self-centered interpretations here. Tempi are as specified and there are no orchestral rearrangements as there were in his Schumann recordings.

Now, if only Sony would release the rest of Szell's Wagner recordings on SACD, I'd be really happy to buy it.

Not to be missed.......2004-12-02

Hard to believe that these old Columbia/Epic LPs had this kind of sound in them. The sound stage is deep and wide and the string sound truly analogue. I find some of the ring excerpts not particularly to my liking musically, but the Tristan Prelude? A great recording by any measure. I was mesmerized by Szell's performance and have listened many, many times. SACD is so phenomenal. No ear fatigue and musically so involving. I haven't enjoyed listening so much since my LP days. This is the full measure of digital sound.

Greatly improved sound, excellent performances.......2004-09-17

I have been comparing this (non-hybrid, stereo-only) Sony SACD with the old Sony/CBS CD set - the 2 discs Maestro series from 1990, I've never heard a more recent Essential Classics CD incarnation coupled with some Ormandy Wagner. I suspect that was the same remastering.

The SACD replicates the second CD from that set (Ring excerpts plus the Tristan Prelude and Liebestod) and adds the Meistersinger Prelude, giving a total timing of 76'47.

I compared the tracks I know very well: the two Gotterdammerung excerpts. Unlike the other Szell SACD I have compared (Schumann Symphonies No 2 & 4, where the difference was discernible but slight), here the new disc sounds clearly different, and I think better.

On CD I always felt it was perhaps the slight aural 'edge' and hint of constriction that made these performances so thrilling (even though the sounds was rather flat in terms of front to back perspective), but this SACD removes that acerbity to some extent, to advantage I feel. There is much more depth to the sound and it is richer - and the orchestra sounds closer (perhaps even a tad smaller?) with greater detail. Strings sound more in focus. Maybe some of the ambience has changed, but perhaps this more realistically conveys the true acoustic of Severance Hall. Hearing the brief fanfare at 5'13ff in the Rhine Journey, here it is more rounded and realistic.

Tape hiss is absent from the SACD. In the Funeral March the advantage is clearer: the detail is much finer (the timpani strokes sound clearly at 2'55ff, whereas on CD they were blurred and the lighter ones inaudible).

For Wagnerians and Szell fans I think this SACD is worth getting as a supplement to the normal CD - I will of course retain the CDs as the SACD cannot be played elsewhere like the car changer.

Szell and Karajan were freinds!!!.......2004-06-07

In a recent bio on Karajan I was surprised to read the two were very good freinds and shared a alot in common. They also had similar approaches to orchestral sonority...

Suprisingly enough the approach to the Wagner here is very alike Herbert in some regards...I like the way Szell approaches the music in a more intense approach.

Karajan did get to do the Ring...but alas we may get to hear Szell with the Met from the 40s which some believe does exist in archive. As to the playing this is the finest Wagner record of exerpts out there.

It surpasses Herbert's any day!!!

The wonderful thing is how Cleveland is so transparent in it's textures...not as unlike Klemperer as one would think!!!

A classic Szell recording beautifully restored.......2002-01-25

There is very little to add to the excellent preceding review on this recording. I would just add an observation that the DSD transfer onto SACD brings a far greater level of realism and transparency as compared to the original LP or any subsequent CD transfer. We get as close as we likely ever will to hearing Szell's original intentions in the studio, which were obscured by Columbia's notoriously poor transfers of the original reel-to-reel master tape onto LP. In those days Columbia would artificially boost the mid-range on a recording to make it sound better on mediocre equipment -- not exactly an audiophile technique! This DSD transfer, by contrast, is untampered electronically, not even by noise reduction, which is also notorious for robbing analogue recordings from this vintage of their ambience and warmth. The result is a small amount of tape hiss, which I will gladly accept to be given the chance to hear what Szell and his fabulous Clevelanders actually recorded.

Meditation Music:

1. Wagner: Der fliegende Holländer
2. Wagner: Siegfried
3. Wagner: Tristan und Isolde
4. Wagner: Tristan und Isolde
5. Walton: Scenes From Troilus & Cressida
6. Weber: Freischütz / Grümmer, Streich, Hopf, Proebst, Poell, E. Kleiber
7. Zurab Sotkilava Sings Famous Russian Tenor Arias & Folksongs
8. 18th Century English Theatre Music
9. A Gilbert & Sullivan Gala
10. Andre Messager: Fortunio

Meditation Music

meditation music

Meditation Music

The B-Sides Collect

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