Wagner's Valhalla

[Elgarian]

Finished the Ring Cycle today....  What a journey it has been! By the end, I couldn't control my emotions and really was in tears. So incredibly beautiful, glorious, powerful... so moving! Such a perfect ending. I have to say that I was in tears for quite a lot of the third act of Gotterdammerung, I was moved by so much of it! The funeral music was so glorious!

There is simply nothing like it, is there? If you follow a similar pattern to me, the Ring will now forever be a kind of backdrop; sometimes more evident, sometimes less so, but never absent. Always there, colouring everything I do. I was somewhat unusual I think, because for me, nothing ever lived up to the Ring, even though I tried Tristan (pursued pretty hard), and the others (much less so). And to this day, I remain a completely besotted Ring fan, rather than a Wagner fan, as such.

Great to hear about the success of your journey, Daniel. You'll never be the same again.

[madaboutmahler]

There is simply nothing like it, is there? If you follow a similar pattern to me, the Ring will now forever be a kind of backdrop; sometimes more evident, sometimes less so, but never absent. Always there, colouring everything I do. I was somewhat unusual I think, because for me, nothing ever lived up to the Ring, even though I tried Tristan (pursued pretty hard), and the others (much less so). And to this day, I remain a completely besotted Ring fan, rather than a Wagner fan, as such.

Great to hear about the success of your journey, Daniel. You'll never be the same again.

Certainly - such an amazing piece! I shall definitely be keen to hear the other Wagner operas, and if they can even come close to being as amazing as the Ring then I am sure that I will love them! Based on excerpts I've heard, I would be particularly interested to hear Parsifal, Lohengrin and Die Meistersinger.

Thank you very much!

[Lisztianwagner]

There is simply nothing like it, is there? If you follow a similar pattern to me, the Ring will now forever be a kind of backdrop; sometimes more evident, sometimes less so, but never absent. Always there, colouring everything I do. I was somewhat unusual I think, because for me, nothing ever lived up to the Ring, even though I tried Tristan (pursued pretty hard), and the others (much less so). And to this day, I remain a completely besotted Ring fan, rather than a Wagner fan, as such.

Great to hear about the success of your journey, Daniel. You'll never be the same again.

By the way, with the last phrase, you made me think of Nietzsche's words: "Wagner is not a syllogism, but a disease" (althought Nietzsche meant that in a negative way).

[knight66]

I think that Nietzsche is more likely to make you queezy.

My own advice would be to dive into the overheated world of Tristan. Last week I listened to a stocking live Karajan performance from around 1953 with Model and Vinay. It sweeps along in an extraordinary way, compelling and dramatic.

Mike

[Lisztianwagner]

Don't you like Nietzsche's book, Mike? So far I've read Hecce Homo, Die Geburt der Tragödie aus dem Geiste der Musik, Die fröhliche Wissenschaft, Nietzsche contra Wagner and Wagner in Bayreuth, definitely interesting.

I agree about Tristan, no other opera can compete with it for intensity, orchestral brilliance, harmonic richness and overwhelming passion, it's absolutely a masterpiece. Apart from the Karajan, also both the Furtwangler and the Kleiber are definitely superb recordings.

[madaboutmahler]

Thank you for the advice, I shall definitely be keen to listen to Tristan und Isolde!

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Glad you enjoyed Ring, madaboutmahler! Though to me Solti's version has always been my favorite. While I admire Karajan too, to me Solti is the ultimate Wagner conductor, always taking tempos closest to my ideal and Neidlinger and Hotter are best Alberich and Wotan I've ever heard. I also cried many times during Götterdämmerung, but the biggest tear jerker to me were the last loud Valhalla Motives when the gods are destroyed along with Valhalla and though he never makes appearance in this part I can imagine Wotan accepting and embracing his fate. And to think that the last motive heard in the Ring is instrumental version of Sieglindes "O hehrstes Wunder".

I also suggest Tristan for your next Wagner opera, many think that it's perhaps the most "wagnerian" of all his works. My favorite recordings of Tristan are Furtwängler, Solti and Kleiber. But feel free to pick anyone you want!

[Lisztianwagner]

I also suggest Tristan for your next Wagner opera, many think that it's perhaps the most "wagnerian" of all his works. My favorite recordings of Tristan are Furtwängler, Solti and Kleiber. But feel free to pick anyone you want!

Furtwangler's Tristan is absolutely superb, maybe the best recording of that opera I've ever heard, followed a little step backward by the Karajan and the Kleiber.

[madaboutmahler]

Glad you enjoyed Ring, madaboutmahler! Though to me Solti's version has always been my favorite. While I admire Karajan too, to me Solti is the ultimate Wagner conductor, always taking tempos closest to my ideal and Neidlinger and Hotter are best Alberich and Wotan I've ever heard. I also cried many times during Götterdämmerung, but the biggest tear jerker to me were the last loud Valhalla Motives when the gods are destroyed along with Valhalla and though he never makes appearance in this part I can imagine Wotan accepting and embracing his fate. And to think that the last motive heard in the Ring is instrumental version of Sieglindes "O hehrstes Wunder".

I also suggest Tristan for your next Wagner opera, many think that it's perhaps the most "wagnerian" of all his works. My favorite recordings of Tristan are Furtwängler, Solti and Kleiber. But feel free to pick anyone you want!

Thank you, I shall certainly be keen to listen to Solti's Ring at some point! I cried many times in Gotterdammerung too. The ending surely is simply perfect, so incredibly glorious, powerful and heavenly!

And thank you for the Tristan recommedations also, I have heard many great things about the Furtwangler so will probably get that recording. The prelude to Tristan is so incredibly beautiful, so I can certainly imagine the whole opera being absolutely stunning!

[jlaurson]

Thank you, I shall certainly be keen to listen to Solti's Ring at some point! I cried many times in Gotterdammerung too. The ending surely is simply perfect, so incredibly glorious, powerful and heavenly!

And thank you for the Tristan recommedations also, I have heard many great things about the Furtwangler so will probably get that recording. The prelude to Tristan is so incredibly beautiful, so I can certainly imagine the whole opera being absolutely stunning!

Furtwangler's is a great recording ("Best of 2004"http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2004/12/best-recordings-in-2004.html), but as often the case with such classic greats, it's overrated.

Depending on how important better-than-acceptable sound quality is to you, there's plenty of good stuff out there that was recorded in the last 30 years.

This has been my favorite for some time:


R. Wagner,
Tristan
Barenboim
Meier, Jerusalem, Lipovsek,
Struckmann, Salminen et al.
Warner

And the price if finally down, now that a budget re-issue is on the market. (Nice presentation... well worth getting used over the new re-issue, I'd say.)

Also worth considering:

Kleiber (leaner, ligther than the stereotype of Tristan)
http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2004/07/legacy-of-carlos-kleiber-on-disc.html
http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2005/03/dg-originals-review.html
Böhm (a classic, but in much better sound than Furtwangler -- and with Nielsson & Windgassen at their best)
http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2006/01/birgit-nilsson-on-disc.html


Actually, those are pretty much the only ones (on CD) that I'd recommend as a first T&I.

Others that are good, but not 'first-on-the-shelves' material:
Thielemann http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2004/07/dip-your-ears-no-7.html
Bernstein http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2009/08/hildegard-behrens-1937-2009-on-record.html
Karajan

[madaboutmahler]

Thank you for the feedback on Tristan recordings, Jens. Interestingly, the Barenboim came out as the top recommendation on the BBC 'CD Review: Building a Library' survey of all the Tristan recordings. So, it is quite a temptation!

[Leo K.]

Thanks from me as well Jens, I actually just received the Barenboim, so I'm excited to jump in!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I just want to add my voice to the chorus, urging Daniel to listen to 'Tristan' next. Yes! My first experience was the Böhm (Bayreuth, 1966), and I still rate it very highly. Furtwängler is tremendous, of course. You can't go wrong with either of them. Barenboim I'll have to check out...

[Lisztianwagner]

You've already got "The Flying Dutchman" though, Daniel; it's absolutely worth hearing, I think you should have a listen to that before diving into Tristan und Isolde. Anyway, no problem if you prefer to listen to Tristan before.....

[Lisztianwagner]

I just want to add my voice to the chorus, urging Daniel to listen to 'Tristan' next. Yes! My first experience was the Böhm (Bayreuth, 1966), and I still rate it very highly. Furtwängler is tremendous, of course. You can't go wrong with either of them. Barenboim I'll have to check out...

Agreed; the Böhm is a marvelous recording.

[madaboutmahler]

Thank you all for your opinions. I am certainly keen to hear both operas... perhaps once I get the recording of Tristan und Isolde, I'll flip a coin to see which one to listen to first!

[Mirror Image]

I hope you'll like the Karajan set, maybe it's the finest recording of the Ring Cycle ever made!!!

It's certainly my favorite Ring out of the five I own. One of most incredible musical experiences I've had in quite some time. Bohm's Tristan und Isolde and Karajan's Parsifal were two other unforgettable musical experiences.

[Lisztianwagner]

It's certainly my favorite Ring out of the five I own. One of most incredible musical experiences I've had in quite some time. Bohm's Tristan und Isolde and Karajan's Parsifal were two other unforgettable musical experiences.

I absolutely agree with you, John!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Seconded!

[Mirror Image]

I absolutely agree with you, John!

I knew you would.