Wagner's Valhalla

[DavidW]

I'm thinking about starting another traversal of the Ring soon.  I have the Barenboim blu-ray set waiting to be watched.

[Brahmsian]

Great! Although that's not my very favourite recording, Solti's Das Rheingold is definitely wonderful, with a thrilling Donner's theme, even better than the Karajan.

Please indulge me, dear Ilaria.  Where specifically does the Donner theme appear in Solti's Rheingold?  I recognize several themes within The Ring, but not all of them yet.

[Lisztianwagner]

Please indulge me, dear Ilaria.  Where specifically does the Donner theme appear in Solti's Rheingold?  I recognize several themes within The Ring, but not all of them yet.

In the fourth scene, when the gods prepare to enter the Walhall; Donner summons clouds, mists and thunders into a lightning-storm to clear the air. Solti's performance is very powerful and intense, with loud, gorgeous percussion in the thunderstorm:

Heda! Heda! Hedo!
Zu mir, du Gedüft!
Ihr Dünste, zu mir!
Donner, der Herr,
ruft euch zu Heer!

Auf des Hammers Schwung
schwebet herbei!
Dunstig Gedämpf!
Schwebend Gedüft!
Donner, der Herr,
ruft euch zu Heer!
Heda! Heda! Hedo!

[Brahmsian]

In the fourth scene, when the gods prepare to enter the Walhall; Donner summons clouds, mists and thunders into a lightning-storm to clear the air. Solti's performance is very powerful and intense, with loud, gorgeous percussion in the thunderstorm:

Heda! Heda! Hedo!
Zu mir, du Gedüft!
Ihr Dünste, zu mir!
Donner, der Herr,
ruft euch zu Heer!

Auf des Hammers Schwung
schwebet herbei!
Dunstig Gedämpf!
Schwebend Gedüft!
Donner, der Herr,
ruft euch zu Heer!
Heda! Heda! Hedo!

Excellent, thank you Ilaria! 

[Lisztianwagner]

Excellent, thank you Ilaria! 

You're welcome, Ray!

Oh yes.    However, it is Day 1 of my listening journey.  Day 1 of 10.  That's a summer holiday tradition for me. 

Solti's prelude to Das Rheingold sends shivers up my spine every time.  It never fails.

Of 10? That means you're going to listen to one act a day, maybe apart from the first opera of the Tetralogy that has four scenes in a row. Anyway, enjoy it!

Yes, the prelude is one of the most magical, mesmerizing parts of Wagner's Das Rheingold as well as of the whole Ring; Wagner's mastery of contrapuntal texture, harmonic richness and of evoking incredible, real imagines through a wide, colourful orchestration is impressive: such a deep, majestic and mystical atmosphere introducted by the brass in the nature motif, then brilliantly developed by arpeggios of strings, and finally the powerful, whirling woodwinds enter in a massive, beatifully overwhelming crescendo of the entire orchestra for the Rhine motif. You really seem to move from the gloomy, cold depths of the Rhine, where life begins and the gold shines, to the brighter, floating waves of the surface; absolutely awesome.
I agree Soltis' prelude is terrific, though I prefer how Karajan handles orchestra and dynamics.

[knight66]

My favourite recording of the first scene is from a disc by Kempe. Only extracts were recorded, the sound is good, the performance lyrical, but with plenty of momentum.

Mike

[Brahmsian]

You're welcome, Ray!

Of 10? That means you're going to listen to one act a day, maybe apart from the first opera of the Tetralogy that has four scenes in a row. Anyway, enjoy it!

Yes, 10 days.  Das Rheingold for Day 1, then one act a day for the remaining 9 days (Twilight of the Gods will have the Prologue and Act I). 

[Moonfish]

Yes, 10 days.  Das Rheingold for Day 1, then one act a day for the remaining 9 days (Twilight of the Gods will have the Prologue and Act I). 

A Wagner summer! What a great idea Chambernut! Enjoy!!!   

[Brahmsian]

Act I and II

[asin]B0000042H6[/asin]

[Lisztianwagner]

How many wagnerian fans here follow the Bayreuth Festival?
Since I discovered the links of the radio that broadcast this musical event, I listen to the first week of the Festival every summer; this year the operas comprised in the programme are: Tannhäuser (Kober), Der Fliegende Holländer (Thielemann), Lohengrin (Nelsons) and Der Ring des Nibelungen (Petrenko). Wonderful choices, though I was a little disappointed to know neither Tristan und Isolde nor Die Meistersinger were included, they are two of my favourite Wagner's music dramas.
There are no new productions, but those singular ones shown in 2013, which it would be best not to say anything about. But at least, the orchestral playing will be amazing.

[Brahmsian]

Act III

[asin]B0000042H6[/asin]

Hojotoho! Hojotoho! Heiaha! Heiaha! 

[Leo K.]

It's been a Wagner summer for me too. I first listened to Theilmann's recent DG cycle a couple times, great performance! I then listened to Bohm's account, it's amazing and I can't wait to revisit!

But when I heard Goodall's cycle (sung in English) it was a revelation. Hearing it sung in my native tongue made the drama intimate and real, it was a whole difference experience! I'm listening to Siegfried now. 

[Moonfish]

How do you guys like Gergiev's recording of "Das Rheingold"?

[Brahmsian]

Siegfried - Act I and Act II (my favourite two acts in The Ring cycle)

[asin]B0000042H7[/asin]

[Lisztianwagner]

Siegfried - Act I and Act II (my favourite two acts in The Ring cycle)

*pounds the table*

[Brahmsian]

Finishing up my Ring Journey today!    Highly enjoyed it!

[asin]B0000042H8[/asin]

[jlaurson]

How do you guys like Gergiev's recording of "Das Rheingold"?

Not great, but good. His Walküre is better... real quality stuff. (Also: More German-speaking singers.) Janowski's Rheingold is brilliant. In fact, his entire Ring would be, if it weren't for unaccountably off singing in Goetterdaemmerung by some of the finest Wagnerians of our day. Hmpf.

What I've said about it here, before:

Earlier:


R. Wagner
Die Walküre
M.Janowski / RSO Berlin
T.Konieczny, I.Vermillion, R.D.Smith
M.Diener, T.Riihonen, P.Lang
PentaTone SACDs
German link - UK link

Making my way through this. I wish Thielemann, instead of having two so-so sounding rings with so-so or actually not-so-so casts, had ever been recorded in such sonic glory. But maybe that's just unfair to Janowski and he's much better suited to working the cause of Wagner than the cause of Brahms & Bruckner et al., which I had found rather dull and disappointing so far, for the most part.

Now:


R. Wagner
Das Rheingold
V.Gergiev / Mariinsky
Pape, Gubanova, Rügamer,
Putilin, Popov, Nikitin, Petrenko
Mariinsky Live SACDs
German link - UK link

A very strong reading for the most part: wonderful Fricka (warmer than Janowski's), aloof Wotan unfortunately (though Pape is quite good even studio-atmosphere-aloof, even with missing high notes), a very good Loge (Rügamer) and Fasolt (Nikitin) and a dramatically reasonably compelling Alberich (Putilin). But Popov's Mime is a sad joke that will make any native speaker cringe fearsomely. Nor does the rest of the cast have a clue what they're singing.

Next up:


Richard van Beethoven
String Quartets opp.18/ 3 & 5, 135
Myrios SACD
German link - UK link

Walkuere was very good, I thought... passionate reading, lushly romantic and searing... and a cast of great singers.
The Rheingold has some of the same qualities and many good singers (though Rene Pape is a little disappointing as Wotan), a tad rushed (but not more so than Petrenko did with the Rheingold in Bayreuth this year, and he was praised to the skies). But the godawful Mime almost throws it, with his phonetically read-out 'German'... if, that is, you are a German speaker. Otherwise it just sounds awkward, which it might as well, seeing how he's a strange little dwarf who might as well have a speech/language impediment.

That said, I'm not yet sure whether Gergiev would get my nod, if I had to decide, or Janowski's SACD cycle -- which is (as are his other operas in that project -- surprisingly good (not just Kapellmeisterisch) and benefits from a certain frission that might come from the fact that they were recorded live and Gergiev's in the studio.

[Moonfish]

Not great, but good. His Walküre is better... real quality stuff. (Also: More German-speaking singers.) Janowski's Rheingold is brilliant. In fact, his entire Ring would be, if it weren't for unaccountably off singing in Goetterdaemmerung by some of the finest Wagnerians of our day. Hmpf.

What I've said about it here, before:

Thank you! Sounds like Gergiev's "Die Walkure" is worth checking out...   
I tend to gravitate towards Bohm and Solti, while simultaneously reaching out for other recordings such as Janowski or the more vintage Bayereuth ones. So much to explore in Valhalla! I take it that Janowski's is your favored digital ring cycle?

[kaergaard]

I have to remind the Wagner fans, this much praised Solti production is just that a production.
It is not a recording of a live opera performance. The singing of the performers and the playing of the orchestra has gone through the editing process tirelessly, studiously - annoyingly? - often enough until Solti was happy with the totality of the manufactured Concert!

[Brahmsian]

I have to remind the Wagner fans, this much praised Solti production is just that a production.
It is not a recording of a live opera performance. The singing of the performers and the playing of the orchestra has gone through the editing process tirelessly, studiously - annoyingly? - often enough until Solti was happy with the totality of the manufactured Concert!

Noted.  It does not detract in my enjoyment of it in the least bit.

Next time I listen to it, I'll make sure I put an asterisk beside it, noting it is highly processed, manufactured product.