Richard Wagner: Das Rheingold

1. Das Rheingold (The Rhine Gold), opera, WWV 86a
   Composed by Richard Wagner
   Performed by Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
   with Norma Sharp, Matti Salminen, Carmen Reppel, Siegfried Jerusalem, Marga Schiml, Heinz Zednik, Hermann Becht, Hanna Schwarz, Ilse Gramatzki, Ortrun Wenkel, Donald McIntyre, Helmut Pampuch, Martin Egel, Fritz Hubner
   Conducted by Pierre Boulez
   
   

Richard Wagner: Das Rheingold,Richard Wagner,Pierre Boulez,Bayreuther Festspiele Orchester,Heinz Zednik,Carmen Reppel,Donald McIntyre,Fritz Hubner,Hanna Schwarz,Helmut Pampuch,Hermann Becht,Ilse Gramatzki,Marga Schiml,Martin Egel,Matti Salminen,Norma Sharp,Ortrun Wenkel,Siegfried Jerusalem,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: 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: The Best Ring Intro and Highlights Recording Incredible, even if only highlights Highlights From The Classic Live Performance Good introduction to the Ring; good value. Fire! Fire!

Wagner: The Best of the Ring Manufacturer: Philips 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 Wagner, Richard | U to Z | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | 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 Nilsson, Birgit | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Panorama (Highlights from der fliegende Hollander, Lohengrin, Tannhauser, Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg, Parsifal, Tristan und Isolde) Wagner: Extracts from the operas An Introduction to Der Ring des Nibelungen Wagner: Tristan und Isolde/Parsifal/Die Meistersinger Von Nürnberg/Lohengrin/Tannhäuser Ring of the Nibelung ASIN: B0000041EJ Release Date: 1996-04-09

Tracks:

1. Das Rheingold: Prelude
2. Das Rheingold - Scene One: Weia! Waga! Woge, du Welle!
3. Das Rheingold - Scene One: Garstig glatter glitschriger Glimmer
4. Das Rheingold - Scene One: Wallala! Lalaleia! Leialei!
5. Das Rheingold - Scene Four: Bin ich nun frei?
6. Das Rheingold - Scene Four: Schwules Gedunst schwebt In der Luft
7. Das Rheingold - Scene Four: Zur Burg Fuhrt die Brucke
8. Das Rheingold - Scene Four: Rheingold! Rheingold!
9. Die Walkure - Act One: Prelude
10. Die Walkure - Act One, Scene 3: Wintersturme wichen dem Wonnemond
11. Die Walkure - Act One, Scene Three: Wehwalt heisst du furwahr? Siegmund heiss ich
12. Die Walkure - Act II: Prelude to Act II
13. Die Walkure - Act II, Scene Four: Siegmund! sieh auf mich!
14. Die Walkure - Act II, Scene Four: Du sahest der Walkure sehrenden Blick
15. Die Walkure - Act III, Scene One: Hojotoho! Heiaha!

Tracks:

1. Die Walkure - Act III, Scene Three: Leb wohl, du k herrliches Kind!
2. Die Walkure - Act III, Scene 3: Loge, hLausche hieher!
3. Siegfried - Act I, Scene 3: Hoho! Hoho! Hohei!
4. Siegfried - Act I, Scene 3: Den der Bruder schuf, den schimmernden Reif!
5. Siegfried - Act II, Scene 2: Aber, wie sah meine Mutter wohl aus?
6. Siegfried - Act II, Scene 2: Du holdes Vin! Dich hort' ich noch nie
7. Siegfried - Act II, Scene 2: Es schweigt und lauscht
8. Siegfried - Act II, Scene 2: Siegfrieds Horn-call
9. Die Walkure - Act III, Scene 3: Ewig war ich, ewig bin ich
10. Gotterdammerung - Prologue: Orchestral Interlude
11. Gotterdammerung - Act III, Scene 2: Brde, heilige Braut
12. Gotterdammerung - Act III, Scene 2: Orchestral Interlude: Funeral March
13. Gotterdammerung - Act III, Scene 3: Starke Scheite schichtet mir dort
14. Gotterdammerung - Act III, Scene 3: Mein Erbe nun nehm ich zu eigen
15. Gotterdammerung - Act III, Scene 3: Grane, mein Ross, sei mir gegr
16. Gotterdammerung - Act III, Scene 3: Zurm Ring

Customer Reviews:

The Best Ring Intro and Highlights Recording.......2006-03-23

CAST: DAS RHEINGOLD:
Gustav Neidlinger (baritone, Alberich) Theo Adam (baritone, Wotan) Wolfgang Windgassen (tenor, Loge) Annelies Burmeister (mezzo-soprano, Fricka) Hermin Esser (soprano Froh) Ruth Hesse (soprano Flosshilde) Helga Dernesch (soprano Wellgunde) Dorothea Siebert (soprano, Woglinde)

DIE WALKURE: James King (tenor, Siegmund) Leonie Rysanek (soprano, Sieglende) Theo Adam (Wotan) Birgit Nilsson (soprano, Brunhilde) Danica Mastilovic (soprano, Fricka) Sieglende Wagner (soprano, Schwertleite) Liane Synek (soprano, Helmwige) and the Valkyries Elisabeth Schartel (Grimgerde) and Anneliese Burmister (Siegrunde)

SIEGFRIED: Wolgang Windgassen (Siegfried) Birgit Nilsson (Brunhilde) Erwin Wohlfahrt (Mime)

GOTTERDAMMERUNG: Wolfgang Windgassen (Siegfried) Birgit Nilsson (Brunhilde) Josef Greindl (bass-baritone, Hagen)...* Conductor Karl Bohm, Bayreuth Festival Orchestra

If you're already an opera fan but have not yet discovered Wagner and wish to be introduced to his biggest most famous opera cycle- Der Ring Des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelungs) then this CD is one you should definately own. From live performances at Bayreuth on July of 1967, these same operas are available on seperate CD's and on a box set from the Phillips label. With a cast of brilliant, experienced Wagnerian singers such as baritone Theo Adam (Odin) soprano Birgit Nilsson (Brunhilde) and tenor Wolfgang Windgassen (Siegfried) you can't go wrong with this set. These singers represent a style of Wagnerian singing that no singer alive today can measure up to. Powerful, invective yet lyrical, passionate voices are equally in balance with dramatic acting. They lived their roles so that everytime I hear the Ring operas, I can't think of a greater Brunhilde than the unbeatable Birgit Nilsson or a greater Odin than that of Theo Adam. Maestro Karl Bohm was a prominent Wagner conductor and a Bayreuth icon in the 60's. He allowed enough natural "fresh air" for his singers, and the orchestra never truly drowns out their voices nor becomes overpowering. Nevertheless, Bohm provides the score, layered with dozens of leitmotifs, with spirituality, grandeur, nobility and the typical Wagnerian fatalism. Bohm understood Wagner more than any other conductor of his time. Although the George Solti studio Ring set is largely considered the greatest, I think this set is possibly better. There is more of a sense of tradition in this recording, since, after all, these are Bayreuth performances. The music and singingremains true to Wagner's original concept and this is not a "conductor's Ring" it is truly Wagner's Ring. The Ring of the Nibelung can become a complex, overanalyzed work of music but beneath its many layers it is an epic panorama of heroes, gods and villains. Its theme is the folly of man in his greedy lust for power, as represented by the titular ring.

Das Rheingold: The first opera deals with the greedy, deformed dwarf Alberich, who foresaking any chance of ever finding love, steals the Gold of the Rhine River from the Rhinemaidens. Baritone Gustav Neidlinger is possibly the greatest interpretor of Albrecht. This is a baritone role that is not in any way meant to be sung beautifully. Neidlinger sounds harsh and ugly, he is in full character. The music for Alberich is equally ugly and dissonant. In contrast, the Rhinemaidens are sung by beautiful, lyric sopranos who must evoke youthfulness, playfulness and a slight sexual flirtation. Their music is at first playful and flirty but after the gold is stolen, their song becomes a lament and remains melancholy in consequent motifs even up to Gotterdammerung when they reappear to reclaim their stolen gold from "the ashes of Brunhilde's Immolation". Donner, the Bridge Keeper of Valhalla, is a high bass who must step up to the exclamations of "Heda! Heda Hedo!", one of the great scenes in this opera, in which the gods enter the newly built glittering palace called Valhalla. But Odin, king of the gods, and suposed god of oaths, has broken his own oath (he promised the spring goddess Freya to the Giants who built Valhalla but didn't keep his word) And the tragedy is set in motion......

Die Walkure: In tenor and soprano James King and Leonie Rysanek, we get the most dramatic and golden Siegmund and Sieglende. More than others who have sung this romantic pair, King and Rysanek become involved, even lost in the music of their characters and are by far the most passionate interpretors. First of all, James King was endowed with a huge, heroic voice so perfect for Wagner. He is also featured in the Solti studio Ring recording but here, he is in better shape and sings with intensity, vocal heft and dramatic prowess. Also, his Siegmund is romantically sung, as if he could just as easily be a Verdi hero. His German diction never falters and he has command of the voice and melodic line. He passed away recently and left behind numerous recordings, including a Parsifal he recorded late in his career, which is still quite amazing. Leonie Rysanek actually screams out during the Love Duet in which Siegmund shows her his great sword Nothung. She was made famous not only for that hair-raising scream but for her powerful, dramatic voice and her first-rate performances as Strauss' Salome (also under Karl Bohm) Elektra and Verdi's Lady Macbeth which she first sang as a replacement to an ill and indisposed Maria Callas. Rysanek died of cancer in the mid 90's, and she was still singing then. In Die Walkure, we are first introduced to Odin's daughter, the lead Valkyrie goddess Brunhilde (she's the gal in the winged helmet, wielding a spear and flying on a horse). Birgit Nilsson owned this role, no doubt about it. Long after she had retired, she could still belt out the Hojo-to-hos (Valkyrie War Cries). She identified with Brunhilde's Nordic roots (Nilsson was born in Sweden) and she understood Wagner and dramatic German opera. All her huge successes were in German opera- Salome, Elektra most notably. She is also the Brunhilde of Solti's ring but here she is singing a hell of a lot better and she isn't overpowered by the Vienna Phil and its gargantuan musical forces. At the end of the opera, Odin punishes Brunhilde for sympathizing with the lovers Siegmund and Sieglende and saving Sieglende (pregnant with Siegfried). She is to sleep inside a ring of fire on a mountain or rock and only a great hero can awaken her and claim her as his bride. Theo Adam as Wotan is by far the best. He has a huge voice and is able to stir our emotions as he bids his daughter farewell in that great final scene.

Siegfried and Gotterdammerung: The son of Siegmund and Sieglende, he grows up not knowing his heritage as a hero. He discovers Nothung, his father's sword, kills Mime, yet another greedy, power-hungry dwarf and slays the dragon Fafner. He is now able to communicate and bond with nature as one of his special powers. He confronts Odin himself and saves Brunhilde from her nearly eternal sleep. Wolfgang Windgassen sang in the old-school Wagnerian tenor style which meant he had the "Bayreuth bark". He could throw his voice high above the big Wagnerian orchestra but it was a voice that was in no way attractive or emotional. It was cold and at times too harsh. But he is the only tenor to truly master the difficult role of Siegfried. Nowadays, some tenors can either sing the Siegfried of Siegfried or the Siegfried in Gotterdammerung, but rarely can they sing both like Windgassen. In addition, Windgassen achieved success in other Wagner heroic roles like Tristan and Tannhauser. In Gotterdammerung (Twilight of the Gods), Wagner's music has never been more fatalistic. Siegfried bids farewell to Brunhilde and sets out on an adventure down the Rhine river. He is captured by the vindictive and evil Gibechung giants, drugged and forced to wed Gutrune. And it gets worse. The Gibechungs also kidnap Brunhilde and force her to marry one of the giants. Eventually, Siegfried is slain by the cruel giant Hagen. The last minutes of singing are left to Brunhilde (it aint over till the fat lady sings). And what great singing it is. In the Immolation Scene, Brunhilde orders for a funeral pyre to be made for Siegfried. She curses the gods for breaking their oaths, declares that the end is near and summons Grane her old Valkyrie horse. Straddling him, she leaps into the funeral pyre and brings about the Ragnarok- the end of the gods. Valhalla is consumed by a firestorm, the Rhine overfloods and the world of man is destroyed. Birgit Nilsson's high, heroic voice has never sounded better in this scene.

Affordable price, great music, great singing. Please don't hesitate to get this recording if you are interested in hearing The Ring the way it should be sung and if you wish to get only chunks and pieces from an otherwise long 4 opera cycle. Enjoy!!

Incredible, even if only highlights.......2004-12-20

I have to say, usually I HATE highlights of anything, but in this case, I will say, I am impressed. It is so hard to choose what should be included, and often the things I want in highlights are the things that are NOT there (example is the highlights of Nabucco with Sintow, the really hard arias are gone; the same with her highlights of Macbeth, no sleepwalking scene). In this case, I was gladly surprised. Most all the really telling moments of the various operas are there. It is a great introduction for those who are just coming to Wagner's Ring. I would say like the Tolken books of Lord of the Rings (stories completely not related, though elements of this are in that), one has to prepare to enjoy them to get the full affect. Wagner is the same. His operas are extremely long, and there are long moments where nothing much is actually happening at all. To come to him unprepared can prove the end of even trying to understand his works at all. This highlight version is simply great. We are introduced to the Rhinemaidens right off and the drama begins. Just enough of each opera is there to give a really good feel for the works, and unlike most highlights with an aria or two, these are full scenes that are presented to us. I have to say, the editors did a masterful job at choosing the "exciting parts" to whet our desire for Wagner. Ending the entire set with the uncut version of the Immolation Scene is simply wonderful. So often when it is recorded as a highlight we begin only on the ending pronouncements where Brunhilde addresses her horse thus bringing the end to the opera. Here we are treated to the entire scene from beginning to end so we can follow the drama (interestingly, while singing the scene, stage actions are going on, for the pyre is prepared, Siegfried's body brought in, Brunhilde removes the ring, his body is put on the pyre, Grane, Brunhilde's horse is brought in -- well, in the score he is called for, but in most performances one has to imagine him being there, and if there, the singer never rides him into the fire as Wagner wanted; I think the only time that happened was with Marjorie Lawrence --- and the entire world is destroyed, including Valhalla, the Rhine overflows and the rhinemaidens get their ring/gold back).

This is a masterful choosing of highlights and they work to present the work as a whole in a wonderful way. When one then buys the entire ring, there are going to be many wonderful parts now fully appreciated and loved that will come up and the work will not seen as long.

For those of us who love Wagner, well, there are days we don't wish to get out all the CD's of each opera to listen to the few scenes we want to hear, and this highlight set is great to hear those moments that one would find exciting to hear when not in the mood to listen to the whole. The only scene I would have added, because it is exciting and good to listen to, is the oath scene (trio between Gunther, Hoggan, and Brunhilde) that ends Act 2 of Gotterdammerung. It is quite exciting and makes a wonderful contrast to the orchestra of the Rhine Journey that begins the Gotterdammerung highlights and the death of Siegfried which on the highlights follows the Rhine Journey. I know only so much can fit on a CD, but one could have begun that trio with the words "Siegfried's Todd" sung by Gunther and then the trio would not have been so long.

However, great introduction of a massive work.

Highlights From The Classic Live Performance.......2003-12-30

In the sixties, conductor Karl Bohm found himself treading on the ground that most conductors would think twice because of the huge risk factor - conducting Richard Wagner's The Ring Of the Nibelung (Das Ring Des Nibelungen) a series of four operas dealing with the ancient Norse saga of the legendary ring of power coveted by gods, mortals and giants. The myth also tells the love story of Siegfried and Brunhilde and the end of the world. For Wagner, this would be his ultimate masterpiece. These four opera cycle goes beyond everything he had ever composed musically and for the theatre. Only Tristan and Isolde and Parsifal reach such dramatic heights and is as musically masterful.

This classic recording has value, even if it is the highlights and excerpts from the operas. There is a full recording in its entirety with Karl Bohm conducting and with the same singers- Birgit Nilsson as Brunhilde, Wolfgang Windgassen as Siegfried, Leonie Rysanek as Sieglende, James King as Siegmund and Theo Adam as Wotan, king of the gods. These singers were regarded as the best interpretors of their day. Certainly, Birgit Nilsson was born to sing Brunhilde. She has all the drama just in her voice. The inflection is dramatic, her stage presence was commanding, and a voice that even Maria Callas would kill for. Maria Callas sang Brunhilde once in the 40's, but it was never good nor became her signature role. Callas was primarily an Italian singer and she had complications singing German. In Callas' day, Kirsten Flagstad was the reigning Brunhilde interpretor. But Birgit Nilsson's voice far surpasses even Flagstad. Birgit Nilsson has all the heigh notes, the passion, the fire and the Wagnerian touch to a fine art. Theo Adam makes a superb Wotan- imperious, commanding, greedy, regial. His voice was well-trained in German and in the art of Wagner music drama. The same applies to James King, a top-notch German heldentenor who made such roles as Siegfried and Theseus (from Strauss' Ariadne) his own.

To sing Wagner is no walk in the park. Only the best heldentenors and Wagnerian soprano divas are employed in this recording. Among them the diva Leonie Rysanek, whose vocals and theatrics on stage was always to her advantage. Here she sings the role of Sieglende- Siegfried's mother and wife of Siegmund. In her dramatic duet with Siegmund, Leonie Rysanek heightens the drama of the moment by actually SCREAMING. It's brilliant. It was well known that Rysanek would always scream her lines when warranted. She has sung other heavy German repertoire- such as Strauss' Salome.

Karl Bohm has been criticized for overemphasizing the music, for directing at lightning speed and making a "sloppy", disappointing score for Wagner's Ring. Most fans of the Ring favor George Solti, who was the first to produce the first studio recording of the Ring. Still others prefer Furtwangler, who was a native German and who knew the music so well because for a long time he had been associated with Wagner's descendant family who operate the Bayreuth Festival Opera House. But Karl Bohm, despite his failure in some portions, has his moments. His strength lies in conducting Gotterdammerung's final scene- the Immolation and end of the world. Brunhilde, the last bearer of the cursed ring, has lost her beloved Siegfried to death by traitorous murderer- giants, curses the gods and commits suicide by throwing herself into Siegfrie'ds funeral pyre. The curse of the ring is lifted, the palace of the gods in Vallhalla is consumed in a devastating fire and the world is flooded by the overflowing Rhine river.

The theme of the Ring is not too complicated to understand. In much the same vein as J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" novels, and the recent film adaptations, the curse of a powerful ring is that of corrupted power. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, in the words of philosopher John Locke. The ring, who entitled its beare to total power, was desired by everyone in the opera- from an ugly dwarf (Albrecht) who was willing to sacrifice sexual relations and love for possession of the ring. Albrecht is the instigator. Stealing the gold of the Rhine from the mermaid-like Rhinemaidens, he begins to build a mine and city under the earth. The gods of Valhalla have their own troubles- the giants who built Valhalla want to claim their promised reward- Wotan's wife, the goddess Freya. The powerful god Wotan will not accept the terms. This occurs in the first opera - Das Rhinegold (The Rhinegold). In the second installment, "Die Walkure (The Valkyrie) we are introduced to Siegmund and Sieglende. Because theirs is an illicit romance, Freya convinces Wotan to decree their deaths. But Brunhilde, Wotan's divine daughter opposes the decree and even saves the life of Sieglende who gives birth to the hero Siegfried. Brunhilde is the Valkyrie warrior woman (she is the stereotypical Wagner opera singer wearing a horned helmet , spear, shield, breast plate and battle costume. When Brunhilde's defiance is discovered, Wotan puts a spell over her. She is to sleep inside a ring of fire until the kiss of a demi-god hero awakens her. In this opera, the famous "Ride of the Valkyries" is featured, a dramatic music which has been used time and again in movies and television, most notably in the film "Apocalypse Now". In Siegfried, we follow the quest of Siegfried. He pulls his father's sword from a tree (like King Arthur does in Excalibur only Arthur pulls the sword from a stone and anvil). Siegfried, with the help of the mentor dwarf Mime, journeys into Albrecht's layer, defeats him and slays the vile dragon Falfner. Of course, he kisses Brunhilde and breaks the spell. In the last opera, Gotterdamerung or "Twilight of the Gods", the saga comes to an end when Siegfried is slain by the Gibechung giants. Brunhilde has her famous Immolation Scene and the world of mortals, and even the gods, die during the end of the world. The highlghts here include Siegfried's Rhine Jounrey and Siegfried's Funeral March (this March was used in John Boorman's Excalibur) and the concluding music.

Good introduction to the Ring; good value........2001-09-11

I'm recommending this 2-disc set because it's the best way I know of at the present time to get an inexpensive, manageable, accessible introduction to Wagner's masterpiece, Der Ring des Nibelungen, commonly called the Ring. The Ring is a sequential cycle of four operas, Das Rheingold, Die Walkure, Siegfried, and Gotterdammerung. With the exception of Das Rheingold, they are all of great length (Wagner was a colossal egotist who seemed to believe that no opera could be too long if he was its composer). As a result, acquiring and getting familiar with the entire Ring is an expensive and time-consuming proposition (my choice among complete Ring recordings, the landmark Solti/Vienna Philharmonic set on Decca/London, is 14 CDs costing around $145-$160). Wagner purists will object to any attempt to excerpt "highlights" from the Ring, and they do have a point: unlike the standard Italian and French operas, which are readily divisible into recitatives, arias, duets, etc., the Wagner operas do not lend themselves to excerpting, with the result that "highlights" sets like this one are a collection of "bleeding chunks" torn from the body of the whole work.

Nevertheless there is a need for a way to approach the Ring, to be introduced to it and to get its flavor, and this generously filled (2 hours 28 minutes of music) 2-disc set fills that requirement reasonably well. These are excerpts from all four Ring operas from live 1966-67 performances (the second Wieland Wagner production) at Bayreuth, the famed Wagner Festspielhaus in Bavaria; they are not studio recordings. They are not great performances, but they are good, capable, workmanlike ones. The sound is not the equal of the better studio recordings (like the Solti and von Karajan cycles), but it is good enough: clear and never objectionable. The conductor, Karl Bohm, was not a great Wagnerian; he gives a competent reading, favoring brisk tempos, generally lacking repose, keeping things moving along in a business-like manner, but the result is that he seems more interested in moving on to the next scene than in shaping the scene at hand to realize its full potential. His performance overall is characterized by persistent, even relentless, forward pressure. Sometimes this works, sometimes not; if he can be accused of insensitivity, of failing to make the most of his opportunities, he can't be accused of lingering, melting, dawdling, going slack. He is certainly not in the class of Solti or Furtwangler as a Wagner conductor. The notes all get played, but there is little magic fire coming from the pit here.

Most of the singers are able and well suited to their roles, and they are all singers who actually sang their roles on the operatic stage (not just in the recording studio). Outstanding are Birgit Nilsson and James King. Here is a chance to hear Nilsson, the greatest Wagnerian soprano of the second half of the twentieth century, "live" in her most celebrated role, Brunnhilde (who figures in the last three Ring operas), and that is an opportunity not to be sneezed at. She offers ringing vocal power, amplitude, stamina, with a brillliant, secure top, an unusual combination that is rarely found in Wagnerian sopranos, and she has no competition in any of the other complete sets except the Solti, where she is competing with herself. When it comes to unleashing her huge voice and letting it soar out over the potent Wagner orchestra, she has no peer, and reminds us of what great Wagnerian singing, heroic singing, used to be all about. James King is the Siegmund in Die Walkure (as he is in the Solti set), and his bright, attractive tenor and musicianly singing are a treat after the ersatz, makeshift Heldentenorizing we've usually had to make do with in Wagner since Melchior retired in 1950. Compare his singing here with the dry, threadbare, underpowered Siegfried of Wolfgang Windgassen--whose creditable performance is a triumph of professional skill over lack of natural resources--and you will see what I mean. Theo Adam as Wotan knows his stuff (he was a well-regarded Wotan) but his vocal endowment is not prepossessing either; he too, like so many Wagner singers of the post-Flagstad-Traubel-Melchior era (i.e., after 1950), is underpowered for the role.

This 2-CD set has direct, head-on competition from a similar (and similarly priced) Deutsche Grammophon 2-CD set of highlights from the Ring. The DG set is from the Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic studio recordings of the Ring operas (1967-1970). Here's how I stack up their pros and cons: The Bohm set has generally superior, more involved singing, including Nilsson as Brunnhilde, by singers who sing the same roles throughout (no switching horses in midstream, as in the Karajan, which has two different Wotans, two different Brunnhildes, and two different Siegfrieds), and who actually sang their roles in the opera house, not just in the recording studio (this is a problem with the more "artificial" Karajan set). Also, since the performances are "live," there is a certain sense of vividness, immediacy, and excitement missing in a studio recording. On the other hand, the Karajan set offers generally superior conducting and orchestral playing; his studio recording can be more note-perfect (with its opportunities for re-takes); and the sound of Karajan's set is better than that of Bohm's live performances (although still not as good as Solti's Ring, or the best more recent opera recordings).

So, between the Karajan and Bohm 2-CD Ring highlights sets, there is not a clearcut winner. To make choosing more difficult, both are priced the same and both offer very generously filled CDs (both have about two and a half hours of music). I marginally prefer the Bohm "live" performances, but I couldn't argue with anyone who listened to them both and preferred the Karajan.

Fire! Fire!.......2000-08-23

Taken from live performances of "Der Ring des Nibelungen" at Bayreuth in 1967, this double-disc compilation of excerpts from Wagner's epic provides a generous selection for persons who want to explore the Ring beyond the usual "highlights" albums without taking on the entire cycle. Although not necessary for those familiar with the Ring, the liner notes contain a brief history of its development, historical and social context, and a synopsis. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on one's attitude towards Wagner's prose style), the notes do not provide translations of the excerpts for neophytes.

Renowned for his performances of Wagner, conductor Karl Bohm evokes fiery playing from the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra. Particularly at the climaxes, his tempi may seem too brisk for those wanting a more langorous Wagner. Nevertheless, Bohm manages to evoke the same white-hot intensity that make many of his other opera recordings riveting, with piercing horns and thunderous percussion. For opera lovers who already own other versions of Wagner's epic, this compilation may whet their appetites for buying the reasonably-priced complete set of Bohm's interpretation.

Average customer rating: Healthy chunks of Wagner... A great Wagner collection from Stokowski in his nineties

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Customer Reviews:

Healthy chunks of Wagner..........2007-02-20

This near 80min. budget/German compilation, comprises of most of Meastro Stokowski's RCA/BMG stereo recorded Wagner output, from 1961-1974. The 2003 German remastering engineers do not add any significant sound enhancement to what were considered state of the art recordings from their era. Furthermore some of the tracks are either coarse or too heavy in the bass, requiring treble bass adjustments. Stokowski's great interpretation of "Ride of the Valkyries", with sopranos and contralto performers is included. My old LP of the same recording was just as thrilling. Included are orchestral excerpts from each of the "Ring" operas, as well as the Romanesque overture to "Rienzi". The disc is poorly annotated not even mentioning Stokowski's idiosyncrasies of interpretation, instrumentation, and tempo. So, the whole project has a half-hearted faceless effort put on it. Add a star if your a true die-hard Stokowski fan.

A great Wagner collection from Stokowski in his nineties.......2005-12-18

Stokowski grew to be very old but never venerable. Capable of chasing secretaries around his desk at 94, what problems could Wagner pose? None--these recordings from London (1973-74) when the conductor was only 91 and 92 are vigorous, sweeping, immensely enjoyable performances. RCA has bounced this material around in several previous releases, and the sound was always spectacular. Both the LSO and Royal Phil. sound terrific, and without wallowing in the sonic Mardi Gras of Phase 4 Stereo, the kind he got form Decca during this period, this CD throws the music at us, as Stokowski himself did.

As to the famous Stokowski penchant for taffy-pulling, his tempos are almost straight here, and when he does lean into the rubato, as in the Tristan Prelude and Liebestod, one feels the ghost of Wagner smiling down. Stokowski must be his kindred spirit for romantic fervor. Five stars for a cllection rivalled only by Furtwangler, Karajan, and Klemperer (really).

Meditation Music:

1. Rossini:La Pietra del Paragone
2. Rossini: Maometto Secondo [Box set]
3. Rossini: Mosè
4. Rossini, Puccini, Lehar and others
5. Ruggiero Leoncavallo: Gli Zingari
6. Saint-Saëns: Samson et Dalila
7. Save the World
8. Verdi and Puccini Arias
9. Verdi Arias
10. Verdi: Il Trovatore

Meditation Music

meditation music

Meditation Music

Accessories EP [CD-single] [EP] [Import]

Adolf and Fritz Busch Conduct Mozart

Alessandro Scarlatti: Messa di Santa Cecilia / Abravanel

Music: Funny Car [CD-single]

Adamski's Thing [Import]

A View from the ED/GE [Import]

8/8/88 a 8h8 [Import]

2005 Warped Tour Compilation [Live]

3345, Pt. 1 [CD-single] [Import]

41 Great College Victory Songs

100th Anniversary: 75 Top Ten Hits [Import]

15 Exitos Originales

100 Anos de Musica

Tree

Best