Wagner's Valhalla

Started by Greta, April 07, 2007, 08:09:57 PM

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Coopmv

Quote from: Valentino on May 30, 2009, 04:23:30 AM
I can see (touching is not allowed) Flagstad's Brünnhilde costume from the Met almost everyday if I want to. When I look at it I giggle...

So you live in Hamar, Norway.  Mystery solved ...    ;D

Here is an excerpt from the link I posted previously ...

The Kirsten Flagstad Museum in Hamar, Norway, contains a private collection of opera artifacts. Her costumes draw special attention, and include several examples on loan from the Metropolitan Opera Archives. Her portrait appears on the Norwegian 100 kroner bill.


Coopmv

Here is one of my treasured LP-sets, an EMI recording.  Furtwangler and Flagstad, what a combo ...


marvinbrown



  Wagner fans, friends and colleagues I post here with distressing news......most distressing news.  A few weeks ago I was watching Tristan und Isolde (Levine MET) on SkyArts 2 here in London and in between Acts they interviewed the casting director at the MET.  This casting director, a lady, claimed that the role of Tristan is very difficult to cast since there are only 11 men...that's right only 11 men in the world today that can sing that role.  My God only 11....where is the next generation of Wagnerian singers?? What does this say of the role of Wotan and Siegfried and Parsifal?  On another thread here at GMG it was pointed out that performances of Die Meistersinger are few and far between. Could live performances of Wagner's operas become extinct simply due to casting problems?  Only 11 Tristans, only 11 men can fulfill the challenges of that role  :o :o :o......... :'( :'( :'( oh where are you Wolfgang Windgassen....I miss Hans Hotter, those were the days my dear Wagnerians, those were the days  :'( :'(!

  marvin 

Haffner

Quote from: Coopmv on May 23, 2009, 06:24:24 AM
This is an excellent Parsifal.  I bought this set about 2 years ago ...




It is often spectacularly good. Bernd Weikl, whom was a tiny bit dragging in the otherwise really good Bayreuth dvd, comes through with flying colors here. A terrific set that I most highly reccomend, along with all the Knap recordings.

Quote from: Coopmv on May 23, 2009, 06:35:34 AM
 

Sir Colin directed an excellent performance of this Tannhauser at Bayreuth in the mid 70's with Gwyneth Jones, etc.  I have this DVD.



I have to get this. It's been too long already.

Haffner

Quote from: Coopmv on May 24, 2009, 11:51:16 AM
Two more to go ...



You have alot to look forward to, especially the Karajan Rheingold. I wasn't wild about his Gotterdammerung or Siegfried, but that might be because I prefer a more visceral, booming, "Heavy Metal Wagner". The Karajan Walkure is the cream of the crop, mostly for its unbeatable first act. Perfect example of applied dynamics.

Just my opinion.

Haffner

Quote from: Coopmv on May 30, 2009, 04:48:17 AM
Here is one of my treasured LP-sets, an EMI recording.  Furtwangler and Flagstad, what a combo ...





Tremendous.

Wilhelm Richard

Quote from: marvinbrown on June 16, 2009, 01:31:22 PM

 Wagner fans, friends and colleagues I post here with distressing news......most distressing news.  A few weeks ago I was watching Tristan und Isolde (Levine MET) on SkyArts 2 here in London and in between Acts they interviewed the casting director at the MET.  This casting director, a lady, claimed that the role of Tristan is very difficult to cast since there are only 11 men...that's right only 11 men in the world today that can sing that role.  My God only 11....where is the next generation of Wagnerian singers?? What does this say of the role of Wotan and Siegfried and Parsifal?  On another thread here at GMG it was pointed out that performances of Die Meistersinger are few and far between. Could live performances of Wagner's operas become extinct simply due to casting problems?  Only 11 Tristans, only 11 men can fulfill the challenges of that role  :o :o :o......... :'( :'( :'( oh where are you Wolfgang Windgassen....I miss Hans Hotter, those were the days my dear Wagnerians, those were the days  :'( :'(!

 marvin  

Distressing times indeed.  But it always seems as though some more show up...folks have been fearing the extinction of the heldentenor since Melchior.
How many of today's conductors can meet the challenges of Tristan (or any other mature Wagner opera's) score?

Haffner

Quote from: marvinbrown on June 16, 2009, 01:31:22 PM

  Wagner fans, friends and colleagues I post here with distressing news......most distressing news.  A few weeks ago I was watching Tristan und Isolde (Levine MET) on SkyArts 2 here in London and in between Acts they interviewed the casting director at the MET.  This casting director, a lady, claimed that the role of Tristan is very difficult to cast since there are only 11 men...that's right only 11 men in the world today that can sing that role.  My God only 11....where is the next generation of Wagnerian singers?? What does this say of the role of Wotan and Siegfried and Parsifal?  On another thread here at GMG it was pointed out that performances of Die Meistersinger are few and far between. Could live performances of Wagner's operas become extinct simply due to casting problems?  Only 11 Tristans, only 11 men can fulfill the challenges of that role  :o :o :o......... :'( :'( :'( oh where are you Wolfgang Windgassen....I miss Hans Hotter, those were the days my dear Wagnerians, those were the days  :'( :'(!

  marvin 



This news doesn't surprise me. Wagner is considered someone to have been "progressed from" by most young people today. Younger folks seem to be convinced that just because something is from "today" it automatically trumps what came from "the day". Today I see Tupac Shakur being labelled a great composer on several popular forums..right up there with Mozart, Beethoven, and Wagner.

Until more people are educated about Our Music, and learn how to listen with their ears and not eyes, the state of modern opera as a rule will remain in decline.

Again, this is all my opinion. I'm just devastatingly grateful that we have the recordings available that we do.

By the way:


Quote from: Coopmv on May 30, 2009, 03:13:14 AM
 

Yes, but I have not really noticed any serious discussion of his operas yet ...


What would you like to talk about?

ChamberNut

Quote from: AndyD. on June 16, 2009, 02:07:44 PM
because I prefer a more visceral, booming, "Heavy Metal Wagner".


Oh yeah!  That's the sound of Solti and WP!  8)

ChamberNut

Quote from: AndyD. on June 16, 2009, 02:14:39 PM
Today I see Tupac Shakur being labelled a great composer on several popular forums..right up there with Mozart, Beethoven, and Wagner.

Ohhhh Andy.  PLEASE tell me you are joking.  :(

Haffner

Quote from: ChamberNut on June 16, 2009, 02:56:46 PM
Ohhhh Andy.  PLEASE tell me you are joking.  :(



I really love your avatar, Ray.

Oh yeah, on two of the Amazon forums that subject came up. Notorious BIG and Tupac are asserted consistently as great composers. I guess it's hard for me to blame them, when I was alot younger I just assumed that the music of today was "it" from a progressive level. It was only when I started studying music that I found out differently.


Scarpia

#871
Quote from: Wilhelm Richard on June 16, 2009, 02:13:01 PM
Distressing times indeed.  But it always seems as though some more show up...folks have been fearing the extinction of the heldentenor since Melchior.
How many of today's conductors can meet the challenges of Tristan (or any other mature Wagner opera's) score?

Maybe this should be called the "chicken little" thread.  There are more conductors and orchestras that can perform Tristan than there have ever been.  I am certain there are more tenors who can perform the role.  The thing we seem to have in particular abundance is people clutching their old records claiming that nothing is as good as it was in the good old days.

Quote from: AndyD. on June 16, 2009, 03:12:29 PMOh yeah, on two of the Amazon forums that subject came up. Notorious BIG and Tupac are asserted consistently as great composers. I guess it's hard for me to blame them, when I was alot younger I just assumed that the music of today was "it" from a progressive level. It was only when I started studying music that I found out differently.

Now Amazon forums are the annals of good taste?  Do you have statistics on many fools thought Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley were better composers than Shostakovich and Hindemith?

Haffner

Quote from: Scarpia on June 16, 2009, 03:45:24 PM


Now Amazon forums are the annals of good taste?  Do you have statistics on many fools thought Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley were better composers than Shostakovich and Hindemith?



I never asserted that Amazon was the quintessence of good taste.

I also don't tend to judge people as fools who have different opinions from mine. Especially when it comes to musical opinion.

But, to each his or her own.


Wilhelm Richard

Quote from: Scarpia on June 16, 2009, 03:45:24 PM
Maybe this should be called the "chicken little" thread.  There are more conductors and orchestras that can perform Tristan than there have ever been.  

Do you really think so?  Because I would love for it to be demonstrated that this is in fact the case.  It would certainly make my life much happier. 
As far as I know, orchestras exist which are capable, of course, conductors, not so much.  I am not just talking about performing...I am talking about performing effectively.

Though I am not sure if the sort of Standards in Wagner Performance a Puccini fan has can be taken very seriously.*
;)

QuoteThe thing we seem to have in particular abundance is people clutching their old records claiming that nothing is as good as it was in the good old days.

Maybe they were...why don't you have a photograph of a modern Scarpia as your avatar?  :)










*Sarcasm




Valentino

Quote from: AndyD. on June 16, 2009, 02:07:44 PM
You have alot to look forward to, especially the Karajan Rheingold.
Damn right you were. The Karajan Rheingold hits home all right.
We audiophiles don't really like music, but we sure love the sound it makes;
Audio-Technica | Bokrand | Thorens | Cambridge Audio | Logitech | Yamaha | Topping | MiniDSP | Hypex | ICEpower | Mundorf | SEAS | Beyma

Valentino

We audiophiles don't really like music, but we sure love the sound it makes;
Audio-Technica | Bokrand | Thorens | Cambridge Audio | Logitech | Yamaha | Topping | MiniDSP | Hypex | ICEpower | Mundorf | SEAS | Beyma

marvinbrown

#876
Quote from: Scarpia on June 16, 2009, 03:45:24 PM
Maybe this should be called the "chicken little" thread.  There are more conductors and orchestras that can perform Tristan than there have ever been.  I am certain there are more tenors who can perform the role.  The thing we seem to have in particular abundance is people clutching their old records claiming that nothing is as good as it was in the good old days.



 Scarpia the orchestras and conductors may well be there! but this criticism has come from the CASTING DIRECTOR at the MET  :o, I submit to you that there may be a lot of orchestras that can play the score of  Tristan und Isolde but the difficulty lies in the vocals as well. I am not sure that many tenors can make the grade! Tristan carries the majority of Act 3, his monologue is long, the agony palpable....and only 11 men in the world today are up to that challenge.....I truly believe that the "sky is falling" ;)! Perhaps Wagner set the bar far too high here??

 marvin

marvinbrown

Quote from: AndyD. on June 16, 2009, 02:14:39 PM


This news doesn't surprise me. Wagner is considered someone to have been "progressed from" by most young people today. Younger folks seem to be convinced that just because something is from "today" it automatically trumps what came from "the day". Today I see Tupac Shakur being labelled a great composer on several popular forums..right up there with Mozart, Beethoven, and Wagner.



  That is really sad and unfortunate Andy.  Maybe Wagner's operas are not accessible to the first time listener but there is much to admire and appreciate in all of the mature operas.  Oh well it is their loss.....

  marvin

ChamberNut

Quote from: marvinbrown on June 17, 2009, 02:39:43 PM
 Oh well it is their loss.....

  marvin

Well said Marvin.  Let them have their 'Tupac'.  We have WAGNER!

Valentino

Based on my own experience I dare say that all is not lost. I was almost 44 before I found the key. But I must admit that I had a lookout for it for quite a while.

We audiophiles don't really like music, but we sure love the sound it makes;
Audio-Technica | Bokrand | Thorens | Cambridge Audio | Logitech | Yamaha | Topping | MiniDSP | Hypex | ICEpower | Mundorf | SEAS | Beyma