Wagner One Ring to rule them all...

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I have heard the Keilberth Ring and I liked it a lot. So I wonder how the 1953 Krauss Ring compare to 1955 Keilberth (Testament)? Is it very similar and only in inferior sound, or is it quite different interpretation-wise? The Krauss Ring can be found quite cheap from time to time (even if that "one dollar offer" seemed to be a fraud, as I never received any CD's).

Cheapest here, for one Euro per opera:

http://www.classicalmusicmobile.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=66&osCsid=c01b9c1206a7eb02aa6738c0277871f9

[Anne]

 "Experience and a few bad purchases (Furtwangler's RAI- God what an awful orchestra  ) have taught me that investing in a GREAT recording of the Ring Cycle can make all the difference in enjoying this Wagnerian masterpiece.

  marvin"

Marvin, I so agree with you.  I can never understand these people who will recommend a cheap recording to beginners who have never heard the work before.  They say they are saving the beginner money.  The beginner may not give the work a second chance with a good recording.  Obviously, money does not guarantee quality, but at least go for the best quality.

     

[PerfectWagnerite]

"Experience and a few bad purchases (Furtwangler's RAI- God what an awful orchestra  ) have taught me that investing in a GREAT recording of the Ring Cycle can make all the difference in enjoying this Wagnerian masterpiece.

  marvin"

Marvin, I so agree with you.  I can never understand these people who will recommend a cheap recording to beginners who have never heard the work before.  They say they are saving the beginner money.  The beginner may not give the work a second chance with a good recording.  Obviously, money does not guarantee quality, but at least go for the best quality.

And it is not like these old ragged readings with terrible ensemble and wayward tempo are any cheaper than some of the stereo cycles out there. For the $40-$50 you pay for Furtwangler you can get Levine, Sawallisch, Janowski, Boehm, ane Neuhold. For $15-$20 more you can get Barenhoim and Haitink. So what you you saving by buying a mono Ring which sounds like someone recorded a transistor radio broadcast outside a concrete building?

Also, I see that Kempe's 1957 ROH Ring is coming out in a week:



Anyone heard it? What do you think?

[PSmith08]

Despite the fact that I have it on pre-order at Amazon, I have heard sort of mixed reviews. Sound quality looks like it might be an issue, but I don't think anyone would look too hard at the SQ of a 1957 live broadcast tape. We got lucky with Keilberth. As to the musical content, the reviews I've seen have praised Kempe's lyricism (which shouldn't surprise anyone), but one reviewer argues that he underplays some of the dramatic content of the music.

I don't know, of course, but we'll see.

[karlhenning]

I've considered before asking this question: How many Rings have you got, Patrick? 

[PSmith08]

I've considered before asking this question: How many Rings have you got, Patrick? 

YGPM

[DarkAngel]

Solti Ring
the ultimate remaster now available from Decca Esoteric for a mere $800............hurry only 1,000 available 

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2010/Feb10/Wagner_Ring_ESSD90021-34.htm

More info:
http://www.esoteric.jp/products/esoteric/essd90021_34/indexe.html

[Sergeant Rock]

Solti Ring
the ultimate remaster now available from Decca Esoteric for a mere $800......

ONE RING TO RULE YOUR BANK ACCOUNT!

Sarge

[DarkAngel]

ONE RING TO RULE YOUR BANK ACCOUNT!

Looks like actual street price has increased to $999 if you can find one in stock........

http://www.elusivedisc.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ESOSA90021

[Superhorn]

  You simply can't go wrong with the Solti Ring; and despite being studio made, it's not at all lacking in sponatneity or excitement, and proves that
studio recordings aren't necessarily sterile and artificial. And the cast has never been bettered.
I haven't heard all the other Rings, but the Levine /DG, which I got from Tower  at a very good prce a few years ago has much to admire,too, although there is no libretto,just detailed notes. This doesn't bother me since I know the Wagner operas so well from having gotten familiar with LPs which  had the librettos long ago.
But there are websites such as naxos where you can download many opera librettos with English translations.
  Karajan and Bohm are also very fine. But the one conducted by Reginald Goodal in English,recently resiiued on Chandos is ruined by the conductor's impossibly slow and lethargic tempi. It's a sdnooze fest.
   

[Scarpia]

I think Karajan's second cycle could have been the best if it had gone forward.  His film of Rheingold (now on DVD) is based on a live recording (not the studio recording which is available on CD) and is more vibrant and in much better sound.  The film itself, while perhaps a bit dated by 70's movie effects, gets the spirit of the piece right.  To bad the bean counters decided it was too expensive and didn't give the go-ahead to complete the cycle.

[Franco]

I think this year I will try to conquer my Wagner phobia.  I am *this* close to ordering the Karajan and Krauss Rings (I already own the Solti) and forcing myself to listen to them start to finish.  I also have a few books on the Ring which I will read as well.

I have a few other of his operas on CD and if the Ring thing goes well, I will continue with Tristan and Parsifal.

[Scarpia]

I think this year I will try to conquer my Wagner phobia.  I am *this* close to ordering the Karajan and Krauss Rings (I already own the Solti) and forcing myself to listen to them start to finish.  I also have a few books on the Ring which I will read as well.

I have a few other of his operas on CD and if the Ring thing goes well, I will continue with Tristan and Parsifal.

Instead I'd recommend the Levine Ring DVD.  Levine is the only set that attempts to use modern stage techniques to follow Wagner's stage directions (i.e., the Rhinemaidens are not Time Square Hookers and Woton isn't the chairman of General Electric).  I'd also recommend Tannhauser, not the absolutely mature Wagner, but the mythology behind the story isn't as obscure as in the Ring.

[Franco]

Instead I'd recommend the Levine Ring DVD.  Levine is the only set that attempts to use modern stage techniques to follow Wagner's stage directions (i.e., the Rhinemaidens are not Time Square Hookers and Woton isn't the chairman of General Electric). 

Thanks for this suggestion; I had forgotten about my plans to eventually acquire the Levine Ring DVDs - which are now on the way.  I will put off indefinitely the Karajan and/or Krauss purchases until I have had time to watch these.

[Renfield]

Thanks for this suggestion; I had forgotten about my plans to eventually acquire the Levine Ring DVDs - which are now on the way.  I will put off indefinitely the Karajan and/or Krauss purchases until I have had time to watch these.

FWIW, though I haven't seen (or heard) the Levine, Barenboim's DVD Ring from Bayreuth fully covered my Ring DVD needs. It combines a) a good reading, b) a good performance, and c) a staging that is unobtrusive, but not bland.

Given how Wagner's stage instructions are still mostly unrealisable, except by proxy ('this is supposed to be a dragon'), I found it an extremely satisfiable production. And you might remember I'm otherwise not Barenboim's no. 1 fan.

[Superhorn]

  Renfield, next season the Met is introducing its new Ring with Rheingold and Walkure. The Rheingold premiere is on opening night .
  The production will be by the French-Canadian director and designer Robert Lapage, who recently made his Met debut with a strikingly original Damnation of Faust.
  Lepage is responsible for Cirque du Soleil, and this production will use special computer and digital technology. It may be something spectacular and utterly original, possibly like no Ring production in operatic history.
  Good old Jimmy L is scheduled to conduct, and I hope he won't be sidelined by physical problems. I can't wait for this.

[DarkAngel]

  Renfield, next season the Met is introducing its new Ring with Rheingold and Walkure. The Rheingold premiere is on opening night .
  The production will be by the French-Canadian director and designer Robert Lapage, who recently made his Met debut with a strikingly original Damnation of Faust.
  Lepage is responsible for Cirque du Soleil, and this production will use special computer and digital technology. It may be something spectacular and utterly original, possibly like no Ring production in operatic history.   Good old Jimmy L is scheduled to conduct, and I hope he won't be sidelined by physical problems. I can't wait for this.

Perhaps this will give some preview of what to expect from this recent Rheingold:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4owd7YU7lxQ&feature=related

[Renfield]

Lepage is responsible for Cirque du Soleil, and this production will use special computer and digital technology. It may be something spectacular and utterly original, possibly like no Ring production in operatic history.

'May be' is the keyword here, but colour me interested. Used right, and sparingly, CGI can work wonders.

[eyeresist]

Solti Ring
the ultimate remaster now available from Decca Esoteric for a mere $800............hurry only 1,000 available 

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2010/Feb10/Wagner_Ring_ESSD90021-34.htm

Thanks for this interesting link. The reviewer comes across as slightly trollish, but undoubtedly an enthusiast. Now, wasn't the 2009 issue of Rheingold a new remaster?

Instead I'd recommend the Levine Ring DVD.  Levine is the only set that attempts to use modern stage techniques to follow Wagner's stage directions (i.e., the Rhinemaidens are not Time Square Hookers and Woton isn't the chairman of General Electric).

You must be a bourgeois neo-fascist!

[kishnevi]

Thanks for this interesting link. The reviewer comes across as slightly trollish, but undoubtedly an enthusiast. Now, wasn't the 2009 issue of Rheingold a new remaster?

If you mean the version issued under the rubric "Decca Heritage Masters", apparently not--nothing is mentioned beyond the original recording details from 1958.   This is a very barebones release--just the cast and track listings: you would think Decca was actually expecting people to listen to the music!