Tristan und Isolde

[Mirror Image]

Buy the Bohm!!!! The end.

[Sergeant Rock]

Buy the Bohm!!!! The end.

The end? Hardly...not even much of a beginning 

The reasons, MI,  you love Karajan's Ring so much are as manifest in his Tristan...to give just one example of why Böhm is hardly the be all and end all of Tristan.

Sarge

[marvinbrown]

Thank you all for the opinions, very helpful! You are very enthusiastic for the Furtwangler! I can tell that it would be amazing - I have heard much praise of it else where as well! May I ask, what is the EMI remastering like?
Thank you again everyone!

  I am not an audio expert nor an audiophile, that said, I find the sound quality to be very good.   I have never had a problem with the sound quality on that recording.



  marvin
 

[knight66]

I am with Sarge here. Karajan with Vickers, Kleiber with Margaret Price and Furtwangler. Any of those will make a good start.

I have however never been able to take to Behrens; which riules out the Bernstein for me.

Mike

[bigshot]

I don't like the recording quality of Karajan. It was an early digital recording and they overdid the dynamic range. In order to hear the quiet passages, the loud ones have to be at ear splitting levels. It might be OK on headphones, but on speakers I keep having to jump up and adjust the volume.

[knight66]

There is an artificiality to the sound and the balance is occasionally irritating when the voices are suddenly submerged as though into the middle distance. But I have never felt the need to keep changing the volume levels as I have with some other recordings. I had not realised digital was employed, though I can see from reading that digital was being used long before I thought, certainly by the time the recording was made in 1972. The pressing I have is within the complete Karajan EMI vocal box and it does not provide the customery digital status on any of the recordings.

Mike

[Drasko]

1972 digital recording from EMI? Highly unlikely. I'm no expert but as far as I remember first commercial digital recordings were made by Japanese Denon in 1974 or 1975. Believe none of the majors switched to digital before 1979 or 1980.

[knight66]

Yes, I was trying to nail this, I also would be surprised. But can't find anything confirming the first use by EMI. However, I was surprised at how early on the technology was used.

At least as far as this set is concerned, perhaps someone who owns it in its own box with booklet will be abe to see whether it is described as ADD etc.

Mike

[Sergeant Rock]

...perhaps someone who owns it in its own box with booklet will be abe to see whether it is described as ADD etc.

Karajan's Tristan was an analog recording. It's labeled ADD on my copy. (ADD – Analog tape recorder used during initial recording, Digital tape recorder used during mixing/editing and for mastering.)

Sarge

[knight66]

Thanks Sarge, that confirms my idea of what was likely.

Mike

[Mirror Image]

The end? Hardly...not even much of a beginning 

The reasons, MI,  you love Karajan's Ring so much are as manifest in his Tristan...to give just one example of why Böhm is hardly the be all and end all of Tristan.

Sarge

My suggestion was just to buy the Bohm. The reason why I've stayed away from Karajan's Tristan is because of the audio quality. I never have liked Karajan on EMI.

[knight66]

A sweeping statement. Many of the EMI discs are superb for their time and do not have the kinds of odd perspectives that his Aida 2/Don Carlos/Tristan have. The discs produced by Walter Legge still stand up 50 years later. Hansel und Gretel, Rosenkavalier, Fledermaus, Bruckner symphonies,  etc. The Dresden Meistersingers has glorious sound. I could go on....it is about picking and choosing. To sweep all his EMI discs off the table means you miss out on some of the best performances and recordings.

Mike

[madaboutmahler]

My suggestion was just to buy the Bohm. The reason why I've stayed away from Karajan's Tristan is because of the audio quality. I never have liked Karajan on EMI.

I have Karajan's cd of Wagner Overtures (etc) and have to say that his performance of the Prelude to Tristan sounds much less passionate than other versions I have heard... I think Karajan was better on DG with the better sound quality, yes, but some of his EMI releases like his Sibelius recordings.

Daniel

[Sergeant Rock]

My suggestion was just to buy the Bohm.

I know...hence my wink after the comment. I was just messing with you.

Sarge

[bigshot]

Karajan's Tristan was an analog recording. It's labeled ADD on my copy. (ADD – Analog tape recorder used during initial recording, Digital tape recorder used during mixing/editing and for mastering.)

I just realized that I was thinking of Parsifal.

[knight66]

Right, that makes sense now. Not that it was all that important, just that my world has tilted back into order again.

Mike

[marvinbrown]

  I think the decision that madaboutmahler   (hey I like that name maybe I should change mine to madaboutwagner!!) has to make is sound quality vs. performance.  Personally I'd choose the latter and when it comes to performance the Furtwangler is unmatched!

  PS:concerning madaboutmahler  ,  he doesn't know it now but Tristan und Isolde is addictive and he will soon have multiple recordings in his collection!  Lucky for him recordings of Tristan und Isolde are cheap.  When he gets addicted to the Ring cycle that's when the wallet starts to hurt!

£113 for the Keilberth Ring 1955......OUCH! ..........but I digress........... 

  marvin

[madaboutmahler]

  I think the decision that madaboutmahler   (hey I like that name maybe I should change mine to madaboutwagner!!) has to make is sound quality vs. performance.  Personally I'd choose the latter and when it comes to performance the Furtwangler is unmatched!

  PS:concerning madaboutmahler  ,  he doesn't know it now but Tristan und Isolde is addictive and he will soon have multiple recordings in his collection!  Lucky for him recordings of Tristan und Isolde are cheap.  When he gets addicted to the Ring cycle that's when the wallet starts to hurt!

£113 for the Keilberth Ring 1955......OUCH! ..........but I digress........... 

  marvin

haha, glad you like the name
Yes, recordings of Tristan do seem rather cheaper than other Wagner operas - apart from the Solti and Barenboim recordings!
haha, I am already looking for recordings of the Ring Cycle after being amazed by the power of the Immolation Scene from Gotterdammerung! They are certainly expensive. Marvin, which recording of the Ring Cycle do you recommend, Karajan, Barenboim or Solti sound the best to me from the few excerpts I have heard.... I doubt there will ever be a perfect Ring Cycle though considering the length!

Daniel

[marvinbrown]

haha, glad you like the name
Yes, recordings of Tristan do seem rather cheaper than other Wagner operas - apart from the Solti and Barenboim recordings!
haha, I am already looking for recordings of the Ring Cycle after being amazed by the power of the Immolation Scene from Gotterdammerung! They are certainly expensive. Marvin, which recording of the Ring Cycle do you recommend, Karajan, Barenboim or Solti sound the best to me from the few excerpts I have heard.... I doubt there will ever be a perfect Ring Cycle though considering the length!

Daniel

  Oh far too many.....I kindly refer you to this thread........enjoy  !

  http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,3576.0.html

  PS: I have 6 Ring Cycles and I love each for different reasons.  But Bohm, Solti and Krauss 1953 are tops for me!

How much better is the 1955 than the 1952 Keilberth?  The latter can be had as an Amazon download for $12.00 - although, I know that downloads are not preferred, still ....

  Not sure because I have not heard Keilberth 1952 and can not afford Keilberth 1955 (in stereo!) Unfortunately I had to settle for Krauss 1953 in mono  ...........  Decca should have never sold the distribution rights of the Keilberth '55 to Testament!

  marvin

[madaboutmahler]

  Oh far too many.....I kindly refer you to this thread........enjoy  !

  http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,3576.0.html

  PS: I have 6 Ring Cycles and I love each for different reasons.  But Bohm, Solti and Krauss 1953 are tops for me!

Thank you for the link, I shall get reading! It seems Solti is rather popular on that thread, so I would probably buy that one, or ask my parents to buy it for me as a Christmas present!

Daniel