Wagner: Die Walküre, Act I

1. Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), opera, WWV 86b Act 1. Prelude
   Composed by Richard Wagner
   Performed by Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
   Conducted by Karl Bohm
   
   
2. Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), opera, WWV 86b Act 1. Scene 1. Wes Herd dies auch sei
   Composed by Richard Wagner
   Performed by Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
   with Leonie Rysanek, Gerd Nienstedt, James King
   Conducted by Karl Bohm
   
   
3. Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), opera, WWV 86b Act 1. Scene 1. Kühlende Labung gab mir der Quell
   Composed by Richard Wagner
   Performed by Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
   with Leonie Rysanek, Gerd Nienstedt, James King
   Conducted by Karl Bohm
   
   
4. Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), opera, WWV 86b Act 1. Scene 2. Müd' am Herd fand ich den Mann
   Composed by Richard Wagner
   Performed by Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
   with Leonie Rysanek, Gerd Nienstedt, James King
   Conducted by Karl Bohm
   
   
5. Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), opera, WWV 86b Act 1. Scene 2. Friedmund darf ich nicht heißen
   Composed by Richard Wagner
   Performed by Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
   with Leonie Rysanek, Gerd Nienstedt, James King
   Conducted by Karl Bohm
   
   
6. Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), opera, WWV 86b Act 1. Scene 2. Aus dem Wald trieb es mich fort
   Composed by Richard Wagner
   Performed by Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
   with Leonie Rysanek, Gerd Nienstedt, James King
   Conducted by Karl Bohm
   
   
7. Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), opera, WWV 86b Act 1. Scene 2. Ich weiß ein wildes Geschlecht
   Composed by Richard Wagner
   Performed by Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
   with Leonie Rysanek, Gerd Nienstedt, James King
   Conducted by Karl Bohm
   
   
8. Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), opera, WWV 86b Act 1. Scene 3. Ein Schwert verhieß mir der Vater
   Composed by Richard Wagner
   Performed by Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
   with Leonie Rysanek, Gerd Nienstedt, James King
   Conducted by Karl Bohm
   
   
9. Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), opera, WWV 86b Act 1. Scene 3. Der Männer Sippe saß hier im Saal
   Composed by Richard Wagner
   Performed by Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
   with Leonie Rysanek, Gerd Nienstedt, James King
   Conducted by Karl Bohm
   
   
10. Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), opera, WWV 86b Act 1. Scene 3. Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemond
    Composed by Richard Wagner
    Performed by Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
    with Leonie Rysanek, Gerd Nienstedt, James King
    Conducted by Karl Bohm
    
    
11. Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), opera, WWV 86b Act 1. Scene 3. Wehwalt heißt du fürwahr?
    Composed by Richard Wagner
    Performed by Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
    with Leonie Rysanek, Gerd Nienstedt, James King
    Conducted by Karl Bohm
    
    

Wagner: Die Walküre, Act I,Gerd Nienstedt,Richard Wagner,Karl Böhm,Bayreuther Festspiele Orchester,James King,Leonie Rysanek,Polygram Records,Classical,Classical Music,German/Austrian Romantic Opera,Opera

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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:

Story Of Wagner In Words And Music Manufacturer: Vox (Classical) 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 Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | 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 General | Children's Music | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Story Of Verdi In Words And Music Stories Of Schumann And Grieg The Story Of Brahms Story Of Dvorák In Words And Music Mendelssohn In Words And Music ASIN: B000001KD3 Release Date: 1995-04-16

Tracks:

1. The Mastersingers: Prelude
2. Lohengrin: Prelude To Act III
3. Faust: Overture
4. The Mastersingers: 'Awake!'
5. The Mastersingers: 'Mad, All The World Is Mad'
6. The Fairies: Overture
7. Siegfried: Forest Murmurs
8. The Mastersingers: Act III Quintet
9. Rienzi: Overture
10. The Flying Dutchman: Overture
11. Tannhaeuser: Pilgrim's Chorus
12. Tannhaeuser: Overture
13. Gotterdammerung (Twilight Of The Gods): Siegfried's Rhine Journey
14. Tannhaeuser: Song Of The Evening Star
15. Lohengrin: Bridal Chorus
16. Tristan und Isolde: Love-Death
17. Tannhaeuser: Venusberg Music
18. Lohengrin: Prelude To Act I
19. The Mastersingers: Prelude
20. The Mastersingers: Prize Song
21. The Mastersingers: Beckmesser And Sachs Duet In Act II
22. The Valkyrie: The Ride Of The Valkyries
23. Gotterdammerung: Siegfred's Rhine Journey
24. Siegfried: Siegfried Idyll
25. Parsifal: Good Friday Spell
26. Gotterdammerung: Siegfred's Funeral Music
27. Tannhaeuser: Overture
28. Lohengrin: Preludes To Act I And III, And Bridal Chorus

Average customer rating: A Grand Lady, A Grand Collection

Legend: Régine Crespin [CD & DVD] Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Berlioz | Berlioz, Hector | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Very Best of Régine Crespin Italian Opera Arias Regine Crespin Sings Berlioz, Schumann, Schubert, and Poulenc Berlioz: Les Nuits d'été; et al / Crespin, Ansermet Songs by Mahler, Handel & Peter Lieberson ASIN: B0009275XO Release Date: 2005-07-19

Tracks:

1. I. Der Engel
2. II. Stehe Still!
3. III. Im Treibhaus
4. IV. Schmerzen
5. V. Traume
6. Einsam In Truben Tagen
7. Euch Luften, Die Mein Klagen
8. Eine Waffe Lass Mich Dir Weisen
9. Ich Sah Das Kind
10. Dich, Teure Halle
11. Allmacht'ge Jungfrau
12. D'Amour L'Ardente Flamme
13. Nous Avons Vu Finir... Chers Tyriens
14. Ah, Je Vais Mourir... Adieu, Fiere Cite

Customer Reviews:

A Grand Lady, A Grand Collection.......2005-09-28

Few who have had the privilege of seeing and hearing Régine Crespin in person will be able to pass this fine album by. A beautiful voice, a beautiful presence, an intelligent and sensitive mind all informed her singing whether on the grand stages of opera or in recitals. Who could ever forget her inimitable Berlioz' 'Les Nuits d'été or Ravel's 'Shéhérazade'? Indeed, Crespin is a legend.

In this very fine album we hear a stunning 'Wesendonck Lieder' of Wagner with Georges Prêtre conducting the Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française. While some singers find these songs matronly Crespin infuses the poems with frail and tender love. Staying with Wagner (she was after all a reigning Sieglinde in her day) she offers arias from 'Lohengrin', 'Die Walküre', 'Parsifal', and 'Tannhäuser' (with Otto Ackermann
conducting the Orchestre du Théâtre National de l'Opéra de Paris)
demonstrating that this very French singer could produce a huge sound that easily sails over Wagner's orchestration. Finally she is heard in Berlioz' 'Les Troyens' and 'La Damnation de Faust' (again with Otto Ackermann). There is not a weak moment in these selections.

Included with this CD is a well-produced DVD of Crespin singing French art songs, showing the poise and involvement she brought to every performance. This is a treasureable package and certainly commands the respect of the title 'Legend. It is brilliant! Highly recommended. Grady Harp, September 05

Average customer rating: Good starter collection of Wagner This is the better of the two Wagner Greatest Hits CDs

Wagner: Greatest Hits Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD 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 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Mozart: Greatest Hits Tchaikovsky: Greatest Hits Bach: Greatest Hits Vivaldi Greatest Hits Beethoven: Greatest Hits ASIN: B000003F6C Release Date: 1991-09-06

Tracks:

1. Die Meistersinger: Prelude To Act One
2. Lohengrin: Bridal Chorus
3. Siegfried: Forest Murmurs
4. Grderung: Dawn And Siegfried's Rhine Journey
5. Die Walkagic Fire Music
6. Trstan And Isolde: Liebestod
7. Tannher: March
8. Lohengrin: Prelude To Act III
9. Tannher: Pilgrim's Chorus
10. Die Walkide Of The Valkyries

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Average customer rating: Excellent The Only Truly Memorable Tracks On This 2 Disc Album Are Jochum's Parsifal Pieces A Thing of Beauty It's OK Falls short of being great.

Wagner: Overture & Preludes 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 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 Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Twilight of the Gods: The Essential Wagner Collection The Best Of Wagner Wagner without Words Wagner: The "Ring" Without Words Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture/ Marche Slave ASIN: B000001GLB Release Date: 1995-02-14

Tracks:

1. Rienzi: Overture
2. Overture
3. Overture
4. Lohengrin: Prelude to Act I
5. Lohengrin: Prelude to Act III
6. Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Prelude to Act I
7. Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Prelude to Act III
8. Die Walkure: The Ride of the Valkyries

Tracks:

1. TRISTAN & ISOLDE - Prelude to Act I
2. TRISTAN & ISOLDE - Introduction to Act III (Massig Langsam)
3. TRISTAN & ISOLDE - Liebestodt
4. SIEGFRIED - Siegfried-Idyll
5. GOTTERDAMMERUNG - Orchestral Interlude: Siegfried's Rhine Journey
6. PARSIFAL
7. PARSIFAL - Good Friday Music

Amazon.com

This is a dazzling collection of nonvocal excerpts from Wagner's operas, from the peace and loveliness of Rafael Kubelik's Siegfried Idyll to the passionate, disturbed Prelude to the first act of Tristan, led by Karl Bohm, and the wild Ride of the Valkyries, with Herbert von Karajan in a particularly rambunctious mood. Other highlights in the two and a half hours of music are transcendent readings of two Parsifal excerpts by Eugen Jochum and the Bavarian Radio Orchestra and a Flying Dutchman set. But couldn't DG have tried to include some information about anything in their teeny paper insert? --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2007-02-13

I grew up listening to all kinds of music. I must say that listiening to this CD is a wonderful change to today's music. It is relaxing and soothing.

The Only Truly Memorable Tracks On This 2 Disc Album Are Jochum's Parsifal Pieces.......2006-11-06

Many reviewers are stating that this is some sort of great introduction to Wagner, when I think they are not aware of many other terrific orchestral Wagner CDs. EMI has recently released an outstanding CD by Karajan of various Wagner preludes and overtures from the non "Ring" operas. That CD is part of EMI's "Great Recordings of the Century" catalogue and it's also available in the "Karajan Collection". Two different pressings, exact same thing.

To get some juicy "Ring" selections, you should investigate George Szell's oustanding CD on Sony Essential Classics which is uniquely captivating as far as orchestral excerpts from the Ring operas go.

Getting back to this DG Double, here is my rundown of all the tracks. The Rienzi Overture is done well by Karl Bohm but it's nothing remarkable. The Flying Duthchman also conducted by Bohm is played with gusto, pretty good. The Tannhauser Overture is an extremely dull run-through by Otto Gerdes, what a nightmare! Listen to Solti instead to get the full power of this terrific piece! The Lohengrin preludes by Kubelik lack the dreamy mysticism and rich power of Karajan's versions on EMI. The preludes to Die Meistersinger are played by Bohm and Jochum, Bohm is too relaxed and slow in the prelude to Act 1 but Jochum finds more life in the prelude to act 3. The ultra-famous "Ride of the Valkyries" is played by Karajan, an excerpt from his complete set of the Ring and yes the soprano soloists are on display here. It's a good account but hardly matches the excitement of Solti's version from his complete Ring recording.

The second CD opens up with powerful excerpts from Tristan and Isolde played by Bohm, the prelude and Act 3 intro are taken from his famous Bayreuth set with Birgit Nilsson. Nilsson however is not represented in the final Liebestod, instead a later, not very passionate Bohm recording is tacked on. The Siegfried Idyll is conducted by Kubelik and is not very memorable, certainly lacking the romantic abandon of the famous Karajan versions. Siegfried's Rhine Journey from Gotterdammerung is led by Karajan and sounds great.

Finally we get to the best part of this 2CD package, Eugen Jochum's performances of the Prelude and Good Friday Music from Wagner's final masterpiece, Parsifal. Both sound highly involved and deeply spiritual, the sound is great for something that was recorded way back in 1957. The brass get a bit edgy but it's not much of a worry, the readings are exceptional.

If you're a Wagner newbie, this 2CD set might satisfy you but I recommend you go and buy that EMI Karajan CD and the Ring excerpts by Szell, listen to those and you'll be well on your way to tackling a full opera. The most accessible opera to start with is Lohengrin.

A Thing of Beauty.......2006-06-17

I am not overly fond of opera but there are exceptions. This album is such an exception. I suppose that is because there is little to be heard in the way of singing on it. I like it for the instrumental passages and they are wonderful.

As the title suggests, these are primarily overtures and preludes. They are not as bombastic as Wagner is wont to be but they are very strong. They are evocative of beauty and majesty. It is good orchestral music.

The performances included are all from Germanic orchestras. This music is a part of the culture and it is well done. If I have one complaint, it is a minor one. The pianissimo passages are sometimes so soft as to not be present. They are...understated in the extreme.

All in all, this is a quality recording capable of producing hours of enjoyment from its two disks.

It's OK.......2006-03-20

I judge this CD for it's sound quality - very good. The Wagner's music it's not really my type of music, therefore I can't say it's a poor CD. If the music is just OK is not the CD's fault. Simply my taste doesn't match Wagner's music.

Falls short of being great........2006-02-01

I'm surprised that all of the other reviewers neglected to mention the shortcomings of this set. Without Siegfried's Funeral March from Die Gotterdammerung and coupled with the fact that the liner notes stink, this is well deserving of 2 stars, but I was generous. Get the EMI set "Orchestral Music" with Szell conducting which has everything that this collection has plus Siegfried's Funeral March, good liner notes and extra selections.

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.

Average customer rating: My FIRST opera cd Better compilations available My desert island CD pick Fine Querschnitt! A collection of opera gems on one CD

Operas Greatest Moments / Domingo, Price, Caballé, Kraus, Norman, Lanza Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Leoncavallo | Leoncavallo, Ruggiero | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Catalani, Alfredo | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Donizetti, Gaetano | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | M to P | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Puccini, Giacomo | M to P | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Rossini, Gioacchino | Q to T | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | Q to T | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Wagner, Richard | U to Z | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Vocal Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | U to Z | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Caballe, Montserrat | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Norman, Jessye | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Price, Leontyne | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music $7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Leoncavallo, Ruggiero | ( L ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Caballé, Montserrat | ( C ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Price, Leontyne | ( P ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Norman, Jessye | ( N ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Opera's Greatest Love Songs Opera's Greatest Duets The Most Famous Opera Duets The #1 Opera Album The Most Famous Opera Arias ASIN: B000003FDD Release Date: 1992-11-10

Tracks:

1. La Traviata: Libiamo, ne' lieti calici (Brindisi)
2. Gianni Schicchi: O mio babbino caro
3. Il Barbiere Di Siviglia: Largo al factotum
4. Les Pecheurs Des Perles - Au fond du temple saint
5. La Boheme: Mi chiamano Mimi
6. Pique Dame: Yeletsky's Aria (Act ll, Scene1)
7. La Wally - Ebben? Ne andro lontana
8. L'elisir D'Amore: Una furtiva lagrima
9. Die Walkure: Du bist der Lenz
10. La Forza Del Destino: Pace, pace, mio Dio
11. Pagliacci: Vesti la giubba
12. Le Nozze Di Figaro: Dove sono i bei momenti
13. Rigoletto: La donna e' mobile
14. Madama Butterfly: Un bel di
15. Die Zauberflote: Ach, ich fuhl's
16. Aida: Se quel guerrrier io fossi; Celeste Aida
17. Carmen: L'amour est un oiseau rebelle (Habanera)
18. Turandot: Nessun dorma

Customer Reviews:

My FIRST opera cd .......2006-09-29

I purchased this compilation in late summer 1994. I always skipped over Merrill's "Largo al factotum", just because I am not a big fan of that aria - kinda hokey to me :) I fell madly in love with the two contributions by Miss Leontyne Price!!! Especially "Pace, pace mio dio", the reference recording of that aria! I like Caballe's performance of "Si, mi chiamano Mimi", and the Domingo and Hvorostovky recordings. This disc opened up a whole new world for me. Yes, I have discovered MANY different singers than those included on this cd, but it started it all for me. It is a good sample of some very fine singing on the RCA label. OH! Let's not forget the superb Pearl Fisher's duet, sung by Bjoerling and Merrill!!

Better compilations available.......2003-09-26

I recently began collecting compilations of great opera performances as raw material for custom CD's. After listening to this CD side-by-side with others, I ended up using not a single selection from it. Three double CD's that, in my opinion, have much more to offer, in both quantity and quality, are (1) Decca's The #1 Opera Album, (2) EMI's The Opera Album, and (3) Warner Brothers' Simply The Best Night At The Opera. If I could have only one, it would be the Decca product, but each has it's own strengths, unlike the RCA disc. The caveat here is that taste in music is a highly personal matter.

My desert island CD pick.......2003-01-10

I could -- and sometimes do -- listen to Nessum Dora over and over. I have never felt music so passionately as I do the selections on this CD. It is truly the best of the best: the best "songs" from the best operas being sung by the best singers at their very best. I challenge anyone who doesn't like opera or ever music to listen to this CD. You will fall deeply in love.

Fine Querschnitt!.......2001-10-12

This is a good set as it includes some of the very finest moments of recorded opera history, noticably with Jussi Björlings Pearlfishes, which was one of his most inspired singings, Placido Domingo in his charming interpretation in The Loves Exlire, Anna Moffo outside the Wienniese standards is interesting, and Montserrat Caballe was really the best Mimi that ever sung that role, and I don't think that many today doubt that Lanza was one of the finest and most flexible voice that have sung Verdi. There is a nice querschnitt through the century as old pearls have been mixed with new. I enjoyed immensely to hear Caballes Mimi and Normans "Du bist der Lenz" or Kraus clicky "Donna Mobile" and a fresh new Ben heppner in 3D sound in one and the same hour.

A collection of opera gems on one CD.......2001-04-07

I have to agree that these are some of opera's greatest moments in the later part of the 20th century. The Pearl Fishers Duet (Au Fond du Temple Saint) sung by Jussi Björling, Robert Merrill is a big favorite of mine. Monserrat Caballe sings La Boheme here, and I couldn't believe my ears; maybe the best version of this I've ever listened to.

I like these assortments of opera arias for the variety, for having all my favorites on one CD, and for the great performances you can find sometimes, like Caballe's here.

Average customer rating:

WAGNER: The Complete Overtures and Orchestral Music from the Operas Yuri Simonov , Francesco D'Avalos , and London Philharmonia Orchestra Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics 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 | 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 | Box Sets | Stores | Music ASIN: B00005MLXT Release Date: 2001-06-12

Average customer rating: A Premiere Wagnerian Voice The voice is great, the interpretations a bit uninspired Superb Quality! Birgit Nilsson's equal One of the greatest treasures of the classical catalogue

Opera Scenes and Orchestral Songs Manufacturer: Umvd Labels ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | 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 Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Fifty-Five Years in Five Acts: My Life in Opera HOMAGE: The Age of the Diva Wagner: Die Walküre Angelika Kirchschlager Handel arias R. Strauss - Elektra ASIN: B00009LW32 Release Date: 2003-08-12

Customer Reviews:

A Premiere Wagnerian Voice .......2006-06-28

Astrid Varnay was the equal of Nilssen and Moedl... and in this record it is clear why Wieland and Wolfgang Wagner kept inviting her back to star at Bayreuth Festival for 17 consecutive years! Not only did she have glorious voice (big, full bodied with clear top and colorful bottom), she was a consumate actress, too. Her reading of the roles are always multi-layered and utterly convincing. A dramatic soprano version of what Vesselina Kasarova is today. If you combine Nilsson and Modl and divide in two you'd probably get something close to a Varnay.

For the record, Varnay and Nilssen were practically the same age (unlike what the other reviewer said). They were born not far from each other in Sweden and just a few weeks apart (Varnay was older)... and the two were great friends. The rather popular misperception that Varnay was much older than Nilsson is because Varnay started starring in the lead hochdramatisch roles like Brunnhilde, Isolde, and Elektra in her early 20's while her contemporaries were still doing understudy and supporting works. As a matter of fact, this extraordinary singer had her Met debut the day before Pearl Harbour bombing substituting for Lotte Lehmann as Sieglinde opposite The Lauritz Melchior in the broadcast Die Walkure without having ever sung on stage before and made a grand success of it and never looked back.

Theirs were the Golden Age of Wagnerian hochdramatiche. The likes of Traubel, Nilsson, Varnay, Modl, Borg, Rysanek... all greats in their own unique ways. I wouldn't say one is better than the other or any is 'unfulfilled' just because I prefer another. They were all special and individualistic.

Varnay was The Wulkure Brunhilde after Flagstad's reign, but her voice changed (some call it 'uglified'... it got edgy and wobbly on top) and in later years she took on Wagner/Strauss mezzo roles and then the character roles like Beckbig in 'Mahoggony' instead while Nilssen continued on as the premium dramatic soprano. I don't think anyone has bettered Varnay's portrayal of Ortrud or Klytamnestra (and Elektra... if you've heard the 1953 recording with Klaus) yet.

This box set is a good highlights of Varnay's many Wagnerian roles in her good soprano voice years and beautifully conducted by her husband Herr Hermann Weigert (including arias from La Forza del Destino, Un Ballo in Maschera (in Italian and German versions), an aria by Beethoven, and Wagner's songs and opera scenes from The Ring (no Hojotoho), Tristan und Isolde (with a searing 'Narrative and Curse' and 2 versions of Liebestod).

There are 3 CDs in tight fitting paper envelopes (no case). A neat little booklet with a note of her career (and photos with Windgassen) comes with it ... no libretto given.

PS: if you haven't read it yet, her autobiography (55 years in 5 acts) is a must read.

The voice is great, the interpretations a bit uninspired.......2005-10-08

All the other reviewers here seem to agree that Astrid Varnay was the equal of Birgit Nilsson. That may have been true for a period when she was in her prime--as on these excellent CDs from 1954 and 1955, in amazingly good early stereo--but I found her interpretations somewhat disappointing. Varnay's singing isn't all that characterful; she concentrates on producing a steady stream of sound. One doesn't hear many colorings, emotional or vocal, and she tends to adopt a steady volume as well.

The result, particularly in the Ring excrepts, is too uniform. One doesn't hear Burnnhilde's grief, confusion, or vulnerability, being aware at all moments of an excellent dramatic soprano producing notes. In the Tristan disc, which has better conducting, I sitll can't tell the difference between the bitter Isolde of Act I and the rapturous one in Act II.

The same holds true for Windgassen, who is fairly wooden in his characterization, both in the Ring and Tristan excerpts. The reviewer who points out that he gained in dramatic ability in later years, even as his voice became older and frayed, is right. One is aware here that Windgassen is mostly tyring to inflate his voice to heldentenor status, which he does convincingly, but when a voice is being pushed, there isn't much room for light and shade.

Superb Quality!.......2005-09-04

First of all, it must be recognized the absoultely stunning technology of Deutsche Grammophone. The recordings from 1954 sound thirty years ahead of its time. If you don't believe me, compare this to some RCA recordings from the early 1980's. Only Decca comes close with their recordings of Aida, Otello, and Trovatore around the same period. An ever so slight static evades the loudest moments, but nothing like the Mehta Trovatore from 1970 on, you guessed it, RCA.

On to Varnay, the truly divine quality of her voice is unmatched by Nilsson, Braun, Grob-Prandl, or Modl, yet surpassed by Flagstad. However, is it not this deluxe voice and attention to drama that make us forget how tightly strained her notes are in the passagio and higher. The vowels are closed and she squeezes into the notes by opening them via the consonants. This can be very annoying. One wishes she would "just sing the note" a la Crespin, who made an art out her sublime attack.

As the premier Brunnhilde between Flagstad and Nilsson, she should be more famous, but closed and/or thin voices almost never break into the recording industry since open sounds are favored timelessly by microphones and technology especially in the acuti. I find Varnay's style of Italian singing perfectly enjoyable to someone else. In German, she at home. Varnay could and should have surpassed Nilsson as THE remembered Wagnerian, but she did not. She was younger than Nilsson, yet she started much faster. When Varnay "arrived" on the scene, she was preferred for the Hochdramtisch roles over Nilsson many times. She had EVERY opportunity and recommendation. But by 1959, the tables turned in big way. Brava Nilsson!

Windgassen sounds very fresh, if not as dramatically astute as he would become in the 1960's.

These are great performances and no criticism will ever have to power to take that away. Varnay was a star, period!

Birgit Nilsson's equal.......2003-11-29

Astrid Varnay was Birgit Nilsson's equal. She didn't have Nilsson's phenomenal top notes but she had Nilsson's huge voice and she had greater warmth than Nilsson. Bravo DG for this reissue!!

One of the greatest treasures of the classical catalogue.......2003-11-05

The hugely underrated and hugely underrecorded great dramatic soprano Astrid Varnay in one of her very few commercial recordings. Here we hear Varnay at her peak as Brunnhilde and Isolde in superb recorded sound. It's so sad that her full Isolde, Brunnhilde, Elektra and Salome were not recorded commercially. Thankfully, we have radio recordings of her full Isolde, Brunnhilde, Salome and Elektra. In the excerpts on these recordings, she is better recorded than in all her other recordings. If you love opera and Birgit Nilsson, you must have this set.

Average customer rating: Marston Does it Again - and Again terrible sound quality An excellent preservation of a remarkable voice.

Victor Recordings, Vol. 1 (1903-1909) Manufacturer: Marston ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mascagni | Mascagni, Pietro | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Schubert | Schubert, Franz | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Robert Schumann | Schumann, Robert | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Smetana | Smetana, Bedrich | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Czech | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Folk Songs | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B000004BOE Release Date: 1997-10-14

Tracks:

1. Dich, teure Halle
2. Ho-jo-to-ho
3. O patria mia
4. Du bist die Ruh'
5. O patria mia
6. Einsam in truben Tagen
7. Der Nussbaum
8. Aus meinen grossen Schmerzen
9. Liebchen ist da!
10. Ave Maria
11. Einsam in truben Tagen
12. Ho-jo-to-ho
13. Ave Maria
14. Erlkonig
15. Verborgene Wunden
16. Like The Rose Bud
17. O patria mia
18. Allmacht'ge Jungfrau
19. Dich, teure Halle
20. Mild und leise
21. Inflammatus et accensus

Tracks:

1. Widmung
2. Standchen
3. How Much I Love You
4. The Year's At The Spring
5. Standchen
6. Gretchen am Spinnrade
7. Ritorna Vincitor
8. Traft ihr das Schiff
9. Selig, wie die Sonne, Take 1
10. Selig, wie die Sonne, Take 2
11. Voi lo sapete
12. Irish Folk Song
13. Ich weiss Euch einen lieben Schatz
14. War es so schmahlich?
15. Fort denn eile
16. Dein Werk
17. Jochanaan, ich bin verliebt
18. Fliegt heim, ihr Raben
19. Ewig war ich
20. Fu la sorte...Alla pompa
21. La fatal pietra...O terra addio

Customer Reviews:

Marston Does it Again - and Again.......2002-03-13

Ward Marston has developed an amazing ability to bring old recordings back to life. The Gadski collections - there are two of them on his label - are amazing preservations of one of the great but neglected dramatic sopranos of the first 50 years of the 20th century. Listeners brought up on modern sound will have trouble with the surface noise; but learn to listen beyond it. Nobody sings like this today.

terrible sound quality.......2002-01-05

Although this CD has its place as a historic recording of Johanna Gadski, the sound quality is so terrible it is practically impossible to even evaluate Gadski's voice. If you buy this CD, do it only to have a recording of hers in your collection. DO NOT buy this CD for the great repertoire on it. It is not something you will listen to for enjoyment when wanting to hear beautiful music.

An excellent preservation of a remarkable voice........1998-09-23

Here is the "Golden Age" dramatic soprano, captured at her best in excerpts from the German and Italian operas in which she excelled, with some truly exquisite recordings of songs thrown in for good measure. This long-neglected artist has finally achieved the recognition she has so long-since deserved.

Meditation Music:

1. Wagner: Famous Opera Choruses
2. Wagner Greatest Hits
3. Wagner: Lohengrin [Box set]
4. Wagner: Tristan & Isolde [Box set]
5. Wagner: Tristan und Isolde WWV90; Lohengrin WWV75
6. Zemlinsky: Sarema
7. Albert Lortzing: Der Wildschütz
8. Alexander Pirogov: Recital Of Songs And Arias
9. Ariadne Auf Naxos
10. Bartók: Bluebeard's Castle

Meditation Music

meditation music

Meditation Music

White Lady [Import]

Brahms & Liszt

Bruckner: Te Deum / Mass In D Minor

Music: Republiek Subtropicbeachclubbing [Import]

Collection [Box set] [Import]

Elemental

Canta Seus Sucessos Com Ze Dantas [Import]

Dead Letters [Enhanced]

Classic Instrumentals, Vol. 1

Beethoven Lives Upstairs

Charmer [Import]

Beginner's Guide to Latin Music [Box set] [Import]

Argentina Mi Buenos Aires [Limited Edition] [Import]

King of Kings

My Horns of Plenty