The Golden Ring - The Making of Solti's "Ring" (Wagner Ring Cycle) (1965)

[Solitary Wanderer]

I can't recall!  There may have been some "open seating" standing room tickets?  Or else people were just over-eager in their "Ring mania." 

PS, I asked in "What are you listening to?" but...how was Three Places in New England?

--Bruce

Yeah, I thought it might have been something to do with the 'standing room' thing.

Heres my review from Thursdays concert

[uffeviking]

Why were the punters running into the theatre when the doors opened?

If by 'punters' you mean the folks with SRO tickets: They were running for the same reason I was running when I was one of them: To get a good spot in the very front of the section, being able to lean on the railing instead of standing without support; important if you happen to be attending stuff like The Ring! 

[Solitary Wanderer]

Watched this wonderful documentary about the making of Solti's landmark recording of Wagners Ring Cycle. Its a testiment to the care to detail that went into the production that this recording is still considered the benchmark version.

Interesting to see that there were no women in the orchestra at that point in 1965. You see women in every section of the orchestra now. Also, all the ciggarette smoking! Including the singers!

Excellent documentary

[m_gigena]

Interesting to see that there were no women in the orchestra at that point in 1965. You see women in every section of the orchestra now. Also, all the ciggarette smoking! Including the singers!

I just watched Haitink conduct the Concertgebouw orchestra in Mahler's fourth and was surprised to see two women playing french horns. I thought that was a man's job. 

[karlhenning]

I just watched Haitink conduct the Concertgebouw orchestra in Mahler's fourth and was surprised to see two women playing french horns. I thought that was a man's job. 

Actually, the first person I knew who played the horn was a girl in high school.

[MishaK]

Interesting to see that there were no women in the orchestra at that point in 1965. You see women in every section of the orchestra now. Also, all the ciggarette smoking! Including the singers!

I just watched Haitink conduct the Concertgebouw orchestra in Mahler's fourth and was surprised to see two women playing french horns. I thought that was a man's job. 

You should watch the wonderful Bruckner DVDs with Wand and the NDR Symphony Orchestra. The first two horns are women. The principal plays superbly. Assistant principal horn of the CSO was a woman (Gail Williams) for a long time (78-98), as is one of the current horns. It's really not very unusual. Apropos Concertgebouw, you should watch the "The Art of Conducting" DVDs. There is some footage of Mengelberg conducting the Concertgebouw in the 30s and a good 25% of the orchestra are women!

[Iago]

There is some footage of Mengelberg conducting the Concertgebouw in the 30s and a good 25% of the orchestra are women!

That's because the men were in the hills, in the "resistance", fighting the Nazis

[m_gigena]

That's because the men were in the hills, in the "resistance", fighting the Nazis

Venezuela is not fighting anyone, and yet their Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra is full of hot chicks.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

That's because the men were in the hills, in the "resistance", fighting the Nazis

Great thread. I'm especially grateful for the link to the great Immolation Scene, with Solti and Nilsson. Wonderful!

As regards all those women in the Concertgebouw Orchestra in the 30s, I hope Iago is joking with his suggestion, because 1) there are no hills in the Netherlands, and 2) the Netherlands were invaded by the Germans in 1940, so any resistance there was (not much) 'flourished' between 1940-1945...

Just to put matters straight!

Jezetha, Dutchman