Wagner's Valhalla

[madaboutmahler]

Really?? Oh, I must definitely come to England then!!

I believe there's a Ring Cycle everywhere, next year. There won't be any escaping from Wagner in 2013.

Looks like you will have a lot of choice, Ilaria! But come to England anyway!

[kishnevi]

I believe there's a Ring Cycle everywhere, next year. There won't be any escaping from Wagner in 2013.

Ilaria, how convenient is Milan for you?  (I have no idea of where in Italy you live.) 
La Scala is doing the full cycle twice in the last half of June 2013. 
http://www.teatroallascala.org/ring/en/ring.html

There will also be productions of Lohengrin and Dutchman, if you want to poke around their website for info.

I've seen three Wagner opera productions live in theatre (meaning, not on DVD or telecast)--Dutchman in the local Atlanta opera production, and Lohengrin and Tannhauser among the operas the Met used to bring in its annual tours to Atlanta and other cities.  That was all in the late '70s.

Here in Miami, the FGO seems to have not gotten the memo that this will be an anniversary year--Puccini, Mozart, Bellini, and Verdi get the four slots for next year's productions.

[Lisztianwagner]

Ilaria, how convenient is Milan for you?  (I have no idea of where in Italy you live.) 
La Scala is doing the full cycle twice in the last half of June 2013. 
http://www.teatroallascala.org/ring/en/ring.html

There will also be productions of Lohengrin and Dutchman, if you want to poke around their website for info.

I've seen three Wagner opera productions live in theatre (meaning, not on DVD or telecast)--Dutchman in the local Atlanta opera production, and Lohengrin and Tannhauser among the operas the Met used to bring in its annual tours to Atlanta and other cities.  That was all in the late '70s.

Ah, luckily it's extremely convenient, it takes just 1 hour and half by train (I live in Padua).
I've already had a look at the programme of the next season and I'm so so happy to see they are going to perform no less than seven Wagner's operas!! Lohengrin, The Flying Dutchman, Gotterdammerung and the whole Ring Cycle, plus Siegfried in October!!
Anyway, thank you for sending me the link, Jeffrey, you were very kind. Actually, I need to check the correct dates.

So far I've seen five Wagner opera productions live in theatre: Das Rheingold both in Milan and in Venice, Die Walkure in Milan and both Siegfried and Gotterdammerung in Bari. I'm really looking forward to seeing Barenboim's performances!!

Looks like you will have a lot of choice, Ilaria! But come to England anyway!

Haha, quite right! I will try to do it anyway.

[Karl Henning]

I almost envy you your first experience of Gotterdammerung, Daniel. A little over 30 years ago, English National Opera toured their Ring in the north of England, including Manchester. We'd known the Ring from our Bohm/Bayreuth recording, bought 2 or 3 years earlier, so we bought tickets for the Gotterdammerung evening (all we could afford, and this was our favourite of the four). I remember it was a hot evening, and we sweltered high up in the cheapest seats, while Rita Hunter and Alberto Remedios put on what surely must have been one of their finest performances. We were transfixed, despite the discomfort, from beginning to end. It was the finest musical experience of my life, and it's never been surpassed since.

It seems we were not alone in our enjoyment of it. At the end the audience erupted, and applauded, and applauded, and applauded, as if they were unwilling ever to let the performers go. I've never experienced anything like that response since, either. But in hindsight, I think nothing but Gotterdammerung could have permitted this kind of transcendence of performance/engagement. For a few hours we were among the gods, and died with them. You can't really beat that.

incidentally . . . to-day was a kind of landmark for me, in a small way.  This is the first I have loaded Wagner onto my mp3 player; and the two operas wherewith I observed this watershed are Götterdämmerung & Siegfried, the Böhm/Bayreuth Festspiel recording included in The Cube.

[Lisztianwagner]

incidentally . . . to-day was a kind of landmark for me, in a small way.  This is the first I have loaded Wagner onto my mp3 player; and the two operas wherewith I observed this watershed are Götterdämmerung & Siegfried, the Böhm/Bayreuth Festspiel recording included in The Cube.

Amazing, Karl! Böhm's recordings are excellent choices.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Quote from: Lisztianwagner on Today at 20:54:11

Amazing, Karl! Böhm's recordings are excellent choices.



Seconded. Strong, lively performances.

[kishnevi]

New release alert:

The Halle recording of Die Walkure (from live performances in July of last year) is slated to come out in about two weeks in the UK (if it's listed on AmazonUS, I didn't find it while looking now).
[asin]B007XRX9BK[/asin]

Amazon UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wagner-Die-Walküre-Hallé/dp/B007XRX9BK/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1335838941&sr=1-1
or PrestoClassical
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Hall%25C3%25A9/CDHLD7531

Acts I and III each get one CD to themselves, and Act II is split between two CDs, with a fifth CD holding the liner notes/libretto in PDF.

[Elgarian]

incidentally . . . to-day was a kind of landmark for me, in a small way.  This is the first I have loaded Wagner onto my mp3 player; and the two operas wherewith I observed this watershed are Götterdämmerung & Siegfried, the Böhm/Bayreuth Festspiel recording included in The Cube.

Good choice. For many years the Bohm was the only recording we had, and although there was always a secret Solti-shaped hole hidden inside me, my appreciation of the Ring was able to blossom and grow perfectly well with Bohm's assistance.

[Mirror Image]

Beautiful! It must have been an absolutely stunning event.

I believe there is a Ring Cycle here in London next year... I'll probably only be able to go to just one too... it will be a hard choice to pick which one to see!

Flip a coin to decide: heads - Das Rheingold, tails - Gotterdammerung.

[madaboutmahler]

Flip a coin to decide: heads - Das Rheingold, tails - Gotterdammerung.

I'd love to see both Die Walkure and Siegfried too though!

I was going to start Gotterdammerung today... but am far too tired for it. Will save it for the weekend.

[Lisztianwagner]

Choosing only one opera of the Ring Cycle is like Lohengrin's forbidden question: you can't give an answer to that.

[bigshot]

The first act of Siegfried comes alive in Goodall's English cycle. It's another one where you need to understand the words.

[jlaurson]

Just back from

Das Liebesverbot. (Frankfurt Opera)

Less Wagner in Wagner is impossible!

Justly neglected, and just as justly dug out every centennial or sesquicentennial.

[Karl Henning]

. . . Justly neglected, and just as justly dug out every centennial or sesquicentennial.

Aye, because it's the Pen of the Master, there is the obligatory Trotting-Out.  And then, because it is half-baked, the inevitable consequent: Stager's Remorse . . . .

[Karl Henning]

Incidentally . . . to-day was a kind of landmark for me, in a small way.  This is the first I have loaded Wagner onto my mp3 player; and the two operas wherewith I observed this watershed are Götterdämmerung & Siegfried, the Böhm/Bayreuth Festspiel recording included in The Cube.

I carried on yesterday, with transferring both Das Rheingold & Die Walküre to the trusty mp3 player.

Now, I could theoretically just fold my ears into the headphones and listen to the entire Ring on the morning commute.

But, thank heaven! my morning commute is not nearly so long! : )

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Quote>But, thank heaven! my morning commute is not nearly so long! : )

Ever considered a small detour?

[Karl Henning]

Quote>But, thank heaven! my morning commute is not nearly so long! : )

Ever considered a small detour?
To Nibelheim? That's not my part of town! ; )

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

 

[Lisztianwagner]

I carried on yesterday, with transferring both Das Rheingold & Die Walküre to the trusty mp3 player.

Now, I could theoretically just fold my ears into the headphones and listen to the entire Ring on the morning commute.

I wonder if you could finally become a devoted wagnerite, Karl.

[madaboutmahler]

Listened to the prologue and first act of Gotterdammerung today. Absolutely amazing, brilliant, beautiful, divine music!!!!

I loved every second of the Prologue in particular, a part near the end made me release a tear as it uplifted me so much! Such great music!

Coming closer to the end of the Ring Journey...  very excited to hear the final acts! I have heard, and been very moved by the Immolation Scene before, but now that I know what has come before it, I imagine it being even more powerfully moving and special.