Wagner's Valhalla

[Harry Powell]

Hello bigshot
There's a "Tristan" from Buenos Aires conducted by Erich Kleiber. Flagstad sings incomparably and Svanholm's a compelling Tristan.
Greetings

[AndyD.]

Thanks for this, ccar. I have found the '73 Stuttgart and the '74 and '75 Bayreuth versions, but I can't find either the '76 Bayreuth, nor the '78 La Scala. Neither amazon nor arkivmusic has it.

This:

[asin]B000GH3CIO[/asin]

appears to be the same performance as the one I posted above, but without booklet and hence cheaper (and it comes with a review from Jens). I presume the sound quality is the same, since both are Opera d'Oro. Can someone confirm?

I had that one and traded it for the Bohm/Nilsson. There are some very good vocal performances on it, but the entire shebang was mortally crippled by the buried orchestral sound.

  James if you like this recording so much I would check out the DVD version of that cycle.  Recorded at the MET in the early 90s it is the only traditional (true to Wagner's intention) production of the complete Ring on the market:

 

  marvin

Seconded.

[ClassicalWeekly]

Just finished watching this fantastic modern production of Die Walkure, from The Copenhagen Ring.  Recommended.  I especially thought that Irene Theorin's performance of Brunnhilde compelling.

[asin]B0024396GU[/asin]

Did you find the video in Gotterdammerung to be a bit "filmy"?  I can't put my finger on it but the video has the feeling like it was recorded like a high-school play.  And that's not a knock on the production or the performers -- it's just the feel of the video is strange.

And I agree; Act II of walkure is very well done.

[Brahmsian]

Did you find the video in Gotterdammerung to be a bit "filmy"?  I can't put my finger on it but the video has the feeling like it was recorded like a high-school play.  And that's not a knock on the production or the performers -- it's just the feel of the video is strange.

And I agree; Act II of walkure is very well done.

Sorry ClassicalWeekly, I  have only seen the Copenhagen Rheingold and Die Walkure.  I have yet to see both the Copenhagen Siegfried and Gotterdammerung, but I will soon remedy this! 

[ClassicalWeekly]

Sorry ClassicalWeekly, I  have only seen the Copenhagen Rheingold and Die Walkure.  I have yet to see both the Copenhagen Siegfried and Gotterdammerung, but I will soon remedy this! 

Gotcha.  Well let me know when you get to the end of the prologue with B &S -- the filming is weird -- especially her makeup.

[DavidW]

I'm going to be watching Nagano's production of Lohengrin tomorrow, and I haven't seen Lohengrin in ~15 years.  Anything I should know coming into it, or should I just sit back and enjoy?

[bhodges]

I'm going to be watching Nagano's production of Lohengrin tomorrow, and I haven't seen Lohengrin in ~15 years.  Anything I should know coming into it, or should I just sit back and enjoy?

I find Lohengrin easier to get into than some of the others. If you've heard it already (even long ago) and are game for Wagner's language in general, I'd vote for the latter--just have a good time with it.

--Bruce

[DavidW]

Wow Bruce I didn't know that you listened to anything pre-20th century!

Accessible Wagner... that I could get behind.

[bhodges]

Wow Bruce I didn't know that you listened to anything pre-20th century!

Accessible Wagner... that I could get behind.

He-he...   (I listen to virtually everything now and then...)

I saw Lohengrin at the Met fairly recently, in the first-booed (not by me), then-ultimately-praised production by Robert Wilson (sample below). Although I know what all the fuss was about--Wilson's abstraction and trademark super-slow choreography--I thought the production was absolutely gorgeous. It was all done with light: lines and rectangles slowly converging over the walls, ceiling and floor of the stage.

It could have been the visuals, but somehow I enjoyed Wagner's score much more than some of the others. (E.g., I've not warmed up to Meistersinger...)

--Bruce

[DavidW]

That looks like trying too hard to be unique... but I guess I would have to see it to believe it.  Weird!

[bhodges]

Imagine a Mondrian painting...except that all the red, yellow and blue components are slowly moving, almost constantly. I hope sometime they make a DVD of the production--it certainly deserves to be documented.

--Bruce

[karlhenning]

Dutchman is very enjoyable, but then (a) it's early Wagner, so you see some of the musical influences showing (assuming that you believe that any of us merely mortal musicians could influence a suuuuper geeeenius like Wagner), and (b) it's briefer than any of the mature operas music dramas.

[bhodges]

I've never heard Dutchman! Hope to remedy that sometime.

--Bruce

[karlhenning]

I've never heard Dutchman! Hope to remedy that sometime.

My first exposure to Dutchman was a concert performance at Symphony, Bruce.  But I should call it still stageworthy, too.

[DavidW]

I haven't seen the Dutchman either.  I like short operas... that's probably why I like Bluebeard's Castle so much. (kidding for Bartok it's all about the music)

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Dutchmen, flying or otherwise, are always very enjoyable.

[DavidW]

I watched Lohengrin this evening, it was beautiful music, great acting, minimalist but effective set... it was great!

[asin]B001U5V04E[/asin]

Having watched Lohengrin, even if the link between the two is a light one, I still feel interested in watching Parsifal next.  I've never seen Parsifal.  There is only one available on netflix with mixed reviews.  So I thought I would just buy a dvd or bd of Parsifal.  The last discussion of this was awhile ago, I did see the mention of Nagano again, but I wanted to ask the question for a fresh discussion:

What is your favorite dvd of Parsifal?  What is your holy grail for Parsifal?

[AndyD.]

I love the Stein "Parsifal" dvd, the one with Jerusalem in Bayreuth. It featured what I consider to be a great, eminently likeable Gurnemanz by Hans Sotin.

I had problems with the conducting during the slowest parts, Stein for me has the same dilemma as Levine: he drags his Wagner. Both Levine and Stein do really well with the mid paced to fast, but on the slow things get very dragging. For me at least.

I didn't have anywhere the problems others did with the Kundry, though she could be a bit screechy.

I highly reccomend the Stein as a first Parsifal dvd purchase.

[DavidW]

Hey Andy!  Long time, no see.  Thanks for the rec.

[AndyD.]

Hey Andy!  Long time, no see.  Thanks for the rec.

Hi! I have two other Parsifals (and seen three others besides), but the Stein was my first and favorite. Maybe the former was partly due to the latter.