Wagner's Valhalla

[Guido]

Looks extremely tasty - will order it pronto. Did she ever sing these roles on stage?

[knight66]

As so often, TL and I back one another's tastes. It is a superb CD. Schwarzkopf did sing the full role of Elsa. Her full Wagner roles also included Eva in Meistersingers and she appeared in Parsifal....but I suspect as a Flowermaiden. I don't know about the Tannhauser role. The notes with this disc suggest she only sang the arias in the studio.

Mike

[AndyD.]

As so often, TL and I back one another's tastes. It is a superb CD. Schwarzkopf did sing the full role of Elsa. Her full Wagner roles also included Eva in Meistersingers and she appeared in Parsifal....but I suspect as a Flowermaiden. I don't know about the Tannhauser role. The notes with this disc suggest she only sang the arias in the studio.

Mike

She is amazing in all, if we're discussing the same recordings. Also my favorite singer for Strauss Vier Letze Lieder and Beethoven's 9th (classic 60's Karajan recording).

[rw1883]

I noticed the Wagner/Fürtwangler EMI Rome Ring is being re-released in the US on February 15th (the UK date is the 01/17).  It looks like they're using the remastering from the first CD release, but for only $35, I'll have to purchase!  I bought the Gebhardt remastering back in 2005, which some listeners prefer over the EMI.  Here's the link:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004CHURKA/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Paul

[kaergaard]

Meistersinger àla Katharina Wagner

I have watched all of it now, but am not ready yet to put down with words what's still swirling around in my head. One warning: Don't believe the reviews published by the professional critics; I wondered often if they have watched the same opera I have. Same with this production. Nobody displays dangling penises, the dangles don't dangle, they are solidly attached bovine horns, not too offensive.

The booing reported is at the very beginning of the applause, one very loud one, followed for a few seconds by a few minor ones, and then immediately drowned by the audience errupting in overwhelming applause, standing applause! - I suspect the lone first booer got a few Euro Dollars for his effort! -

My applause meter: Most went to Klaus Florian Vogt, the young, good looking Walter von Stolzing. His Meisterlied rocked the foundation of the Haus auf dem Hügel. I know, there should be some romance in this song, but Vogt's volume showed everybody how well he can sing it with  full tenoreal lungs. I wonder if he ever did a Siegfried. His Walter in the first two acts could be a perfect teenage, bratty Siegfried.

The second high applause recipient is Michael Volle's Beckmesser. He is the best Beckmesser I have seen or heard, yes, even better than Herman Prey in the old classic one. His performance shows the importance a director can make. I have the Meistersinger at Zürich in the Lehnhoff production, an entirely different Beckmesser. - Lehnhoff is on my list of admired directors! - I like Katharina's better, very lively, athletic, definitely nothing semitic about him.

And then there is Franz Hawlata as Hans Sachs. Would I have been in Bayreuth, I would have shouted and applauded the loudest and stomped my feet the hardest, but then I am partial to bass-baritones and such. Hawlata is such a layed-back cobbler, his Wahn, überall Wahn is heart-breaking and his Verachtet mir die Deutschen Meister nicht a most powerful, convincing declaration of the importance and beauty of Deutsche Kunst. Katharina decided to let this testimony close the opera, no presentation of the laurel wreath and such niceties. And I am impressed by her decision, it works because of the strength of Hawlata's performance.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Thanks for this, Kaergaard. There are many prejudices floating around concerning Katharina. Let's give this Wagner a chance!

[snyprrr]

ok, for some reason,... oh that's right,

I was watching Visconti's Ludwig on YOUTUBE and,... I suppose that was Wagner underneath it all? Anyhow, I liked how it was used in the film.

So, I've bypassed Wagner and am offering myself up to you to mold. Frankly, show me what the fuss is about, please.

And NO singing please, just the orchestra, ma'am.

YouTube clips might be the way to go with me?

[kaergaard]

My admiration for your show of interest in Richard Wagner, that alone gets you a good distance toward the goal.

BUT: I am not familiar with the workings of UTube and wish another fellow poster will take over. The difficult part would be to find a Wagner UTube without singing; views of orchestra pits are hard to come by.

Don't go away, we are working on it! 

[Bill H.]

My admiration for your show of interest in Richard Wagner, that alone gets you a good distance toward the goal.

BUT: I am not familiar with the workings of UTube and wish another fellow poster will take over. The difficult part would be to find a Wagner UTube without singing; views of orchestra pits are hard to come by.

Don't go away, we are working on it! 

There should be plenty of Youtube performances of purely instrumental excerpts (aka bleeding chunks).  In many cases no real "video" is uploaded with the music; it's just a montage of images, or even a single still photo that's shown. 

[kaergaard]

Yes, there is this for a start, the most famous of Wagner's composition, just one chord:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wagner_Tristan_opening_(orchestral).ogg

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

For one reason or another, YouTube vids don't show up (and I have followed Rob's instructions to the letter). So I'll simply give this link to the famous Prelude of Tristan und Isolde (to see the chord 'in action', so to speak). In Visconti's Ludwig music from this work figures prominently...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fktwPGCR7Yw

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Ah, Wagner. Best - composer - ever! My Wagner admiration begun when I was pre-teenager and has continued ever since. While there is no denying such genius opera composers like Verdi, Strauss, Puccini and Bizet... Wagner is in his own league. He creates amazing plots, complex characters where no one is purely good or evil, eargasmic music that consists of hundreds and hundreds of leitmotives which often play as combinations... and many of them use similar thematic material or even variations, yet making completely different effect! And let's not forget that Wagner operas are twice as long as many other operas and therefore much more awesome music!

Wagner's Ring - greatest masterpiece in history of both music AND literature. I started with it and boy, it hooked me instantly! I think Siegfried is my most favorite part, then Rheingold, Götterdämmerung and Walküre. Now, don't think I don't love Walküre, I worship it! It's just my least favorite from Ring. All Wagner's operas (at least starting from Fliegenden Holländer) are all genuine masterpieces... except masterpiece is too small word for these awesome romantic operas/music dramas! Possible reason why I like Walküre least is because it has only two of my favorite characters: Wotan and Loge (as a flame and musically), while my other favorite characters such as Alberich, Mime, Hagen, Gunther, Woodbird, Siegfried and Fafner are missing. But like I said, it is still awesome and kickass, both musically and in text! Der Ring des Nibelungen, how I love thee! I think my favorite recording is Solti, even though Furtwangler and Karajan are pretty close too.

Tristan und Isolde, turning point in music history! Verdi admitted in his old days that it was most admirable work ever. After I have listened to this, I usually sob uncontrollably in front of it's divine beauty. Tristan's betrayal, Isolde's love-hate relationship, Melot's jealousy combined with admiration , Kurwenal's loyalty, poor Marke's melancholy, Brangane's pessimism, Tristan-chord, chromatic scales! Best recording is naturally by Furtwangler.

Parsifal, Monty Python and the Holy Grail kneels before you! Even though Nietzsche attacked against Parsifal's libretto which he considered immoral, (I don't agree, I think it is one of Wagner's best) he admitted still it's magnificent beauty in music. Music drama that Debussy loved even when he became sceptical of his other works. Best recording of Wagner's solemn giant is most likely by Knappertsbusch or Solti.

Meistersinger, Wagner's most comedic work, and although less chromatic than Tristan, it is by no means a step backwards in it's hilarious satire and glorious orchestration. Karajan recording is most likely the best one to capture this wonderful comedy on 4 CDs!

Fliegenden Holländer, Tannhäuser and Lohengrin = crown jewels of romantic opera and already close to music drama. Ortrud is one of the best soprano roles in history! Best recordings I have heard are those by Karajan and Solti.

[kaergaard]

And NO singing please, just the orchestra, ma'am.

YouTube clips might be the way to go with me?

While searching for no-singing examples of Wagner's compositions, I remembered the wisdom of friend Wendell, who said: "Learning about Wagner without singing is sorta like wanting to learn about wine without consuming any alcohol."   

[DavidRoss]

While searching for no-singing examples of Wagner's compositions, I remembered the wisdom of a friend who said: "Learning about Wagner without singing is sorta like wanting to learn about wine without consuming any alcohol."   

Is there singing in Wagner?

Although I chuckled at the irony of snipper's request, I also thought about suggesting:

[asin]B000002763[/asin]

P.S.  I've enjoyed your comments about Katerina's Meistersinger, Lis.  I'm intrigued by the idea of a Wagner with a sense of humor.

[jlaurson]

Meistersinger àla Katharina Wagner

I have watched all of it now, but am not ready yet to put down with words what's still swirling around in my head. One warning: Don't believe the reviews published by the professional critics

I finally got the DVD after seeing it then (Bayreuth cat). And I take a bit of exception to the suggestion that everyone trashed it when it came out. While I eschewed reviewing it directly, I had always thought it was rather smart:


Friday, 7.27.07, 6:00 am
Holy German Art: Wagnerian Games on the "Green Hill"
http://www.weta.org/fmblog/?p=130

[kaergaard]

Tomassini had interesting things to say - play! - about Wagner and Verdi:


http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/17/top-10-composers-hailing-operas-shakespeare-and-its-proust/

[DavidRoss]

Welcome, Alberich!  (Question:  Why this screen name?  Reminds me of another member who goes by the name "Scarpia.")

[kaergaard]

P.S.  I've enjoyed your comments about Katerina's Meistersinger, Lis.  I'm intrigued by the idea of a Wagner with a sense of humor.

David: With your most extravagant imaginary staging idea, would you think of placing Hans Sachs, wearing a shirt exposing large part of his stout, hairy chest, rolled up sleeves, bare feet propped up on the conference table, Meistersingers seated at it, and have him smoke a cigarette? 

And it works! Not one bit offensive.

[DavidRoss]

David: With your most extravagant imaginary staging idea, would you think of placing Hans Sachs, wearing a shirt exposing large part of his stout, hairy chest, rolled up sleeves, bare feet propped up on the conference table, Meistersingers seated at it, and have him smoke a cigarette? 

And it works! Not one bit offensive.

Probably not. I'd be more inclined to cast Sachs as an aging counterculture geeky type--say, John Adams with a ponytail--amidst the bean-counters. 

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Welcome, Alberich!  (Question:  Why this screen name?  Reminds me of another member who goes by the name "Scarpia.")

I am going little offtopic:

Thanks! At first I thought to make a nick "Nibelungenherr", since I was almost sure that Alberich was taken already... which it wasn't. I picked up Alberich, because he is one of my favorite opera characters and along with Wotan he is the character that I find most comfortable to identify with. Please forgive any possible typos etc. I may have made. IMO I have decent english, but it might be outright terrible to someone else.