Wagner: Orchestra Highlights

Editorial Reviews
Album Details
This Album is Made of Orchestral Peices from all of Richard Wagner's "Bayreuth-worthy" Operas (With the Exception of the Ring).it Offers a Chronological Summary of Wagner's Development, which Will Spur the Listener to Try to Achieve a Deeper Understandingof his Music.

Tracks:

The Nibelung's Ring: The Rhinegold: Scene 1: 'Lugt, Schwestern! Die Weckerin lacht in den Grund' (Alberich)
The Nibelung's Ring: The Rhinegold: Scene Four: 'Zur Burg fuhrt die Brucke' (Wotan, Fricka, Loge)
The Nibelung's Ring: The Valkyrie: Act One: 'Der Manner Sippe sass hier im Saal' (Sieglinde)
The Nibelung's Ring: The Valkyrie: Act Three: (The Ride Of The Valkyries) 'Hojotoho! Hojotoho!'
The Nibelung's Ring: The Valkyrie: Act Three: 'Der Augen leuchtendes Paar' (Magic Fire Music) (Wotan)
The Nibelung's Ring: Siegfried: Act Two: 'Aber, wie sah meine Mutter wohl aus?' (Forest Murmurs) (Siegfried)
The Nibelung's Ring: Siegfried: Act Two: 'Nun sing! Ich lausche dem Gesang' (Siegfried, Woodbird)
The Nibelung's Ring: Siegfried: Act Three: 'Heil dir, Sonne! Heil dir, Licht!' (Brunnhilde, Siegfried)
The Nibelung's Ring: Twilight Of The Gods: Act Three: (Funeral March)
The Nibelung's Ring: Twilight Of The Gods: Act Three: 'Fliegt heim, ihr Raben!' (Brunnhilde)

Customer Reviews:

Right For The Money.......2006-06-27

I've had this cd for as long as I can remember and love it. Some compilations want $30 and up for a Wagner opera, but this has it all condensed into one cd and it's both beautiful and inexpensive.

Lovely moments from a disappointing Ring.......2005-10-07

Levine's Ring cycle was severely handicapped from the start by having no real siegfried and a Brunnhilde who is very musical but lacking a true Brunnhilde voice. Levine worked around these deficits, as every conductor since the heyday of Nilsson has had to do, with excellent musicianship and the wonderful MET Orchestra. HIs sound for Wagner is leaner than Solti's--one gets the feeling of an opera orchestra, not a huge symphony orchestra.
The cycle also suffered from Levine's extremely leisurely pace, which seems slack rather than profound.

That said, DG has made a silk purse of of half a sow's ear. These excerpts show off the best in Levine's approach and skirt the worst. One would have liked to hear much more of James Morris's Wotan, since he was by far the star of the show. Hildegard Behrens is heard to good effect in the Immolaiton Scene that ends the cycle, as well as the Awakening Scene from Siegfried. The orchestral excerpts are gorgeously played, and even though I would not rank any single opera from Levine's Ring as the best on record, this "compact Ring" is excellent on its own.

A good introduction.......2005-08-08

A solid, well-rounded compilation of highlights from Richard Wagner's musically sublime, vocally gargantuan, and dramatically unsurpassed Der Ring des Nibelungen is a rare find. Deutsche Grammophon released a two-disc set of highlights from Karajan's Ring Cycle through its Panorama collection; Philips released a similar set from Karl Böhm's glorious live 1966-67 Bayreuth recordings. This collection of highpoints from James Levine's late-1980s/early-1990s rendering of the operatic epic through the Metropolitan Opera is not as successful. This is indeed a shame, for Levine masters Wagner's scores with surprising versatility; he crafts a fairly slow, precise, but deeply moving and rewarding musical portrait of the composer's Rhineland of yore which sparks more than a few memories of the most highly regarded studio recording of the four operas: Sir Georg Solti's (and, for all intents and purposes, producer and innovator John Culshaw's) and the Wiener Philharmoniker's triumph on Decca.

What results is a compelling but not overwhelming exhibition disc for James Morris and Hildegard Behrens, the former as a gravelly, sonorous Wotan, and the latter as a svelte, willowy Brünnhilde. Morris is certainly superior to the archaic, defeated Hans Hotter of Solti's Die Walküre (and, arguably, Theo Adam in Böhm's and Thomas Stewart in Karajan's) during his farewell to Brünnhilde ("Der Augen leuchtendes Paar"). Behrens is no Nilsson (nor a Dernesch, nor a Crespin) but she is, nonetheless, a very lovely Valkyrie, both in the Awakening Scene ("Heil dir, Sonne! Heil dir, Licht!") and in the Immolation Scene ("Fliegt heim, ihr Raben!"). Reiner Goldberg is competent as Siegfried in the Waldweben ("Aber, wie sah meine Mutter wohl aus?"), but he is far removed from the realms of Wolfgang Windgassen and Jess Thomas. Jessye Norman is a mature but lyrically radiant Sieglinde. Kathleen Battle supplies her sugary, enchanting tone for the small but potent role of the Woodbird. Siegfried Jerusalem makes a brief appearance as Loge (in a definitely less caricatured capacity than Gerhard Stolze). Mark Baker is a plain but virile Froh. Hei-Kyung Hong, Diane Kesling, and Meredith Parsons are particularly harmonious as the Rheintöchter.

However, the rest of the soloists are barely nonexistent. Christa Ludwig is insultingly truncated as Fricka. Ekkehard Wlaschiha's Alberich (which rivals the interpretations of Gustav Neidlinger and Zoltan Kélémén) is heard only twice. Matti Salminen's Hagen is limited to a sole outburst of "Zurück vom Ring!" Other noted performances from Levine's Ring are deleted entirely: Heinz Zednik's slimy but very human Mime, Kurt Moll's baleful Hunding, Cheryl Studer's Gutrune, and Bernd Weikl's Gunther.

In spite of everything, this "compact Ring" is an item to have simply for Levine's presentation of the Walkürenritt ("Hojotoho! Hojotoho!"). The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra is in superb form and the eight furious, calamitous voices of Wotan's battle maidens (supplied by Marita Napier, Linda Kelm, Reinhild Runkel, Ruthild Engert, Marilyn Mims, Anne Wilkens, Kesling, and Parsons) mesh in a tapestry of thunderous doom and emotion.

Incredible. Levine/Met is the Wagner to buy........2005-02-05

I have the complete Ring cycle from which these highlights are taken. Chances are if you're browsing Wagner recordings you're already aware of how powerful and profound "Der Ring" is, so I'll just say what you want to know: BUY THIS CD. No other Wagner CD I've heard comes close. Usually I disagree with at least some tempo or phrasing choices of even the most famous conductors, but I must bow to Levine on this one. Not once did I ever think that I would've made a different choice, allowing me to become completely immersed in the music. For a classically trained musician like myself, this is no small feat since I've been conditioned to analyze what I hear almost automatically. The fact that these recordings are so good that they make me forget about mechanics makes this not only of the best Wagner recordings I have but one of the best classical CDs I own, period.

NOTE: If you like this CD, then trust me--just buy the whole "Ring" set conducted by Levine. It's expensive (over $100), but it's 14 CDs and one of the best musical investments you'll ever make.

Great driving music.......2004-12-29

I have seen the Ring Cycle a couple of times live over the years. I also have the videos and some lengthy recordings. So periodically I refresh my self with the story. However I find "The Compact Ring" fun fro listing to in the car. As with any copulation it is someone else's idea of the highlights. But it comes close enough for me. And what is on the CD is excellent.
This also makes a good introduction.

Great Orchestral Highlights from The Ring of the Nibelungs / Szell, Cleveland Orchestra (SACD)

Average customer rating:

Conversion
Not to be missed
Greatly improved sound, excellent performances
Szell and Karajan were freinds!!!
A classic Szell recording beautifully restored

Great Orchestral Highlights from The Ring of the Nibelungs / Szell, Cleveland Orchestra (SACD)
Wagner , Cleveland Orchestra , and George Szell
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000044U19
Release Date: 2000-01-11

Customer Reviews:

Conversion .......2005-03-07

This is a very good recording of these works - all from Wagner's Nibelungen operas. Prior to purchasing this SACD, I did not totally agree with Szell's approach to Wagner. His approach, I thought, was too clear, too lacking on the bass line, and the accoustic at Severance Hall didn't help much. This SACD clarifies Szell in a very favorable way. Severance Hall doesn't sound nearly as bad of a place to record as I previously thought (though it's still debatable whether Szell's modifications to the hall in the late 50's were an improvement...) and the listener hears a much more balanced orchestral sonority, one which is without any congestion, clear as a bell, so to speak.

The performances themselves are top-flight - no question, by the late 1960's, the Cleveland Orchestra was the best orchestra in the U.S., outgunning everyone else. Szell lets the music speak for itself - no indulging in one's own self-centered interpretations here. Tempi are as specified and there are no orchestral rearrangements as there were in his Schumann recordings.

Now, if only Sony would release the rest of Szell's Wagner recordings on SACD, I'd be really happy to buy it.

Not to be missed.......2004-12-02

Hard to believe that these old Columbia/Epic LPs had this kind of sound in them. The sound stage is deep and wide and the string sound truly analogue. I find some of the ring excerpts not particularly to my liking musically, but the Tristan Prelude? A great recording by any measure. I was mesmerized by Szell's performance and have listened many, many times. SACD is so phenomenal. No ear fatigue and musically so involving. I haven't enjoyed listening so much since my LP days. This is the full measure of digital sound.

Greatly improved sound, excellent performances.......2004-09-17

I have been comparing this (non-hybrid, stereo-only) Sony SACD with the old Sony/CBS CD set - the 2 discs Maestro series from 1990, I've never heard a more recent Essential Classics CD incarnation coupled with some Ormandy Wagner. I suspect that was the same remastering.

The SACD replicates the second CD from that set (Ring excerpts plus the Tristan Prelude and Liebestod) and adds the Meistersinger Prelude, giving a total timing of 76'47.

I compared the tracks I know very well: the two Gotterdammerung excerpts. Unlike the other Szell SACD I have compared (Schumann Symphonies No 2 & 4, where the difference was discernible but slight), here the new disc sounds clearly different, and I think better.

On CD I always felt it was perhaps the slight aural 'edge' and hint of constriction that made these performances so thrilling (even though the sounds was rather flat in terms of front to back perspective), but this SACD removes that acerbity to some extent, to advantage I feel. There is much more depth to the sound and it is richer - and the orchestra sounds closer (perhaps even a tad smaller?) with greater detail. Strings sound more in focus. Maybe some of the ambience has changed, but perhaps this more realistically conveys the true acoustic of Severance Hall. Hearing the brief fanfare at 5'13ff in the Rhine Journey, here it is more rounded and realistic.

Tape hiss is absent from the SACD. In the Funeral March the advantage is clearer: the detail is much finer (the timpani strokes sound clearly at 2'55ff, whereas on CD they were blurred and the lighter ones inaudible).

For Wagnerians and Szell fans I think this SACD is worth getting as a supplement to the normal CD - I will of course retain the CDs as the SACD cannot be played elsewhere like the car changer.

Szell and Karajan were freinds!!!.......2004-06-07

In a recent bio on Karajan I was surprised to read the two were very good freinds and shared a alot in common. They also had similar approaches to orchestral sonority...

Suprisingly enough the approach to the Wagner here is very alike Herbert in some regards...I like the way Szell approaches the music in a more intense approach.

Karajan did get to do the Ring...but alas we may get to hear Szell with the Met from the 40s which some believe does exist in archive. As to the playing this is the finest Wagner record of exerpts out there.

It surpasses Herbert's any day!!!

The wonderful thing is how Cleveland is so transparent in it's textures...not as unlike Klemperer as one would think!!!

A classic Szell recording beautifully restored.......2002-01-25

There is very little to add to the excellent preceding review on this recording. I would just add an observation that the DSD transfer onto SACD brings a far greater level of realism and transparency as compared to the original LP or any subsequent CD transfer. We get as close as we likely ever will to hearing Szell's original intentions in the studio, which were obscured by Columbia's notoriously poor transfers of the original reel-to-reel master tape onto LP. In those days Columbia would artificially boost the mid-range on a recording to make it sound better on mediocre equipment -- not exactly an audiophile technique! This DSD transfer, by contrast, is untampered electronically, not even by noise reduction, which is also notorious for robbing analogue recordings from this vintage of their ambience and warmth. The result is a small amount of tape hiss, which I will gladly accept to be given the chance to hear what Szell and his fabulous Clevelanders actually recorded.

Average customer rating:

Wagner: Tristan & Isolde [Highlights]
Lipovsek , Salminen , Meier , Jerusalem , Barenboim , and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Manufacturer: Apex
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00027LD9S
Release Date: 2006-06-02

Tracks:

Act I - Prelude
Act I - Tristan!...Isolde!
Act Ii - Isolde! Geliebte! Tristan! Geliebter!
Act Ii - O Eitier Tagesknect!
Act Ii - Einsam Wachend In Der Nacht
Act Ii - Tatest Du's Wirklich
Act Iii - Prelude
Act Iii - Kurwenal! Hor! Ein Zweites Schiff
Act Iii - Tot Denn Alles!
Act Iii - Mild Und Leise Wie Er Lachelt

Wagner: Die Walkure; Götterdämmerung (Highlights) [Australia]

Average customer rating:

Great singers, great conductor
Subtle and stirring by degrees...except for Flagstad
Utterly fantastic
The magnificent Flagstad !
Fabulous

Wagner: Die Walkure; Götterdämmerung (Highlights) [Australia]
Hans Knappertbusch , Kirsten Flagstad , Set Svanholm , Arnold van Mill , Knappertsbusch , Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra , and Richard Wagner
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Great Recordings Of The Century - Beethoven: Symphony no 9 / Furtwangler, Schwarzkopf

ASIN: B000060ME2
Release Date: 2002-01-28

Tracks:

Prelude
Wes Herrd Dies Auch Sei Hier Mub Ich Rasten Siegmund
Des Seimigen Metes Uben Trank
Mud' Am Herd Fand Ich Den Mann
Friedmund Darf Ich Nicht Heiben
Ein Starkes Jagen Auf Uns Stellten
Ein Trauriges Kind Siegmund
Ich Weib Ein Wildes Geschlecht Hunding
Ein Schwert Verhieb Mir Der Vater Siegmundo
Schlafst Du Gast
Der Manner Sippe Sieglinde
Wintersturme Wichen Dem Wonnemond Siegmond
Du Bist Der Lenz Sieglinde
Siegmund Heib' Ich Siegmund
Siegfreid's Funeral March

Customer Reviews:

Great singers, great conductor.......2006-10-19

This is, quite simply, very good.

It's my first encounter with Set Svanholm and I really like his voice. Lyrical and manly. It's a pity he sometimes has a rather awkward intonation.

Flagstad has a wonderful voice too. I knew her voice from the Fricka role on Solti's Rheingold (stereo). I'm very glad to have another example of her art.

I'm also very pleased with Arnold van Mill's Hunding. He portrays this man not altogether evil, but rather displeased because he finds his wife with another man in his own house. Only when he finds out, Siegmund is the one he has been searching for, he get's really angry. I think this view on the role is closer to the score than any other recorded Hunding (who portray Hunding as a fundamentally evil creature, a sort of Nibelung, which he is not). Anyway, his voice sounds great.

Knappertsbusch and his orchestra are wonderful. It's a pity that not the whole opera was recorded.

Subtle and stirring by degrees...except for Flagstad.......2004-11-22

This is an excellent recording of Act 1...up there with the best going around.

There are of course many recording of this opera, and almost as many disasters. Gary Lakes as Siegmund in the Met version is one example of a single individual shattering the value of a 4 CD set.

I grew up a poor boy, weaned on the cheapest Wagner Ring CDs I could find. The Boulez Walkure with Peter Hoffmann and Altmeyer, with the frightening Matti Salmninen as Hundig, was the first I listened too and has always been my favourite- at least as far as Act 1 is concerned. This one, conducted by Knappertsbusch, comes very close. Set Svanholm is a far superior Siegmund to many others that i have heard, comparable to James King, if not better. He possess King's strength of voice but is more like Hoffmann in his ability to negoitiate the the more sublte parts of the score with more poignant tenderness.

If there is a fault with any part of this CD it is with Flagstad. It is pretty frightening stuff really. Personally I have never really been a fan, but if she is your cup of tea then please completely ignore anything I have to say about her. 'Der Manner Sippe' is a harrowing experience. She is less sympathetic than she is nagging and coarse. She starts off well but comes across generally as too austere and Brunhilde-ish. She is less swept away by Seigmund than beating him into submission, and that angle, call me old fashioned, just doesn't cut it for me. Altemayer's more vulnerable Sieglinde was one of the factors which made Boulez's performance so compelling.

Van Mill's Hundig, while not comparable to Salminen, is far superior to the likes of Greindl in the Solti.

The sound is good and the orchestra (particularly the bass/cello section) is superb. There is a power to it which is quite intoxicating. The orchestral orgasm around Siegmund harried plea for 'Ein Quell' and Sieglinde's 'Erquickung schaff ich'is deliciously intense. Bohm's orchestra by comparison seems to fall to fall asleep here. Later, their combination with Svanholm at the end of the act is electrifying.

It is good. Excellent in fact. It cost me 10 dollars in Sydney and is an absolute bargain.

Utterly fantastic.......2004-11-11

I have been a Flagstad fan from my first encounter with her singing. I read about this recording quite a while ago and I thought that it was impossible to get. By chance I saw it here on Amazon.com and in stock and ordered it right away. When I received the CD in the mail and played it, I was in a daze and felt as if I have discovered her voice all over again. The sound quality of the recording was great. Her voice wrapped around me like a very comfortable blanket and took me on a ride. The full bloom and beauty of the voice left me wanting for more.
Set Svanholm's Siegmund was also a treasure to behold, with the proper depth, power and security in the voice to make his interpretation totally believable. Arnold van Mill, I thought, wasn't menacing enough, but still was vocally very good.
Hans Knappertsbusch was better here than on his performance from 1956 available from Music and Arts. His tempi and timing here are better defined. On the '56 performance there were times when Windgassen, who sang Siegmund, began singing and the orchestra lagged behind. This performance has a vitality to it and is generally faster than what I normally expect from Kna.

The sound is, like I wrote above, really great. All details of the orchestral score is heard and it never is balanced above the singers. This is, for me, the best stereo recording with Flagstad. There aren't many of them. Two of them, Rheingold and the third act from Walkure both with Solti, have a much inferior conductor (Solti). The third with Mahler and Wagner lieder and arias (if there is such a thing in Wagner) with Boult and Kna is still very good, but with this recording we get a complete act with her in great sound and with a great co-star and conductor.
This is very highly recommended.

The magnificent Flagstad !.......2004-04-24

Who could ever call the most beautiful, powerful and unsurpassed voice in Wagner singing matronly ?

Fabulous.......2003-09-10

This is the famous Act 1 Walkure with Knappertsbusch that John Culshaw describes in his book "Ring Resounding". Kirsten Flagstad sings Sieglinde. She has been criticized for being too "matronly" for Sieglinde. Yes, but she sings the role absolutely beautifully. Who cares if it is matronly? Plus the sound is terrific - Decca Stereo. Knappertsbusch is great too.

Panorama (Highlights from der fliegende Hollander, Lohengrin, Tannhauser, Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg, Parsifal, Tristan und Isolde)

Average customer rating:

Great overview to Wagner's non-Ring operas
Good introduction, good value

Panorama (Highlights from der fliegende Hollander, Lohengrin, Tannhauser, Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg, Parsifal, Tristan und Isolde)

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004XN6N
Release Date: 2000-10-17

Tracks:

Der fliegende Hollander: Overture - Chor Und Orchester Der Bayreuther Festspiele
Der fliegende Hollander: Johohoe! Traft ihr das Schiff im Meere an - Chor Und Orchester Der Bayreuther Festspiele
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Customer Reviews:

Great overview to Wagner's non-Ring operas.......2006-03-28

Listeners seeking an overview of Wagner's operas are well-served by this 2-cd set and its companion 2-cd set of excerpts from Karajan's performance of the 4 Ring operas. This set features excerpts from the DG operas "Der Fliegende Hollander" (Flying Dutchmman), "Lohengrin", "Tannhauser", "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg", "Parsifal", and "Tristan und Isolde". The recorded sound is superb, and the performances flow together very well, even though the works are performed by different orchestras, conductors, and singers.

This is a very enjoyable set in a crowded and competitive field. It offers almost a 50-50 split between orchestral and vocal excerpts, so those seeking primarily orchestral excerpts might be better served by the 2-cd set of overtures conducted by Sir Adrian Boult, which contains purely orchestral excerpts from these same operas as well as a few excerpts from the four Ring operas. Those listeners who value great performance and don't mind putting up with the good but dated mono sonics from the 50s may want to seek out the excellent 2-cd set of Wagner excerpts on EMI conducted by Wilhelm Furtwanger, which offers primarily orchestral excerpts except for a stunning rendition of Brunnhilde's Immolation sung by Kirsten Flagstad. Also, George Szell conducted a single disk of orchestral excerpts from the Ring that does contain the prelude from Die Meistersinger and the prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde. I purchased all of these outstanding disks before getting this Panorama set, but I am very glad that I got this set, because of the the beauty of the choral works not contained in the other sets. Also, the interpretation of the orchestral pieces is outstanding, and I was glad to add them to the others. This set was so good, it inspired me to obtain versions of the complete operas.

Good introduction, good value.......2001-10-04

This is a sensible, cost-effective way to gain a nodding if superficial acquaintance with Wagner's six most important non-Ring operas. (The four Ring operas are similarly if somewhat more generously highlighted, in the Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic recordings, on a 2-CD Deutsche Grammophon set that is a companion volume to this one, so if you buy both sets--4 CDs--you gain at least some exposure to all ten major Wagner operas.)

CD 1 of this set (64'22 in length) gives you 21'04 of Der fliegende Hollander (The Flying Dutchman), in the Karl Bohm/Bayreuth recording (1972); 21'25 of Lohengrin, in the Claudio Abbado/Vienna Philharmonic recording (1994); and 21'53 of Tannhauser, in the Giuseppe Sinopoli/Philharmonia recording (1989). CD 2 (70'55 in length) gives you 23'15 of Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg, in the Eugen Jochum/Deutschen Oper Berlin recording (1976); 25'50 of Parsifal, in the James Levine/Metropolitan Opera recording (1994); and 21'18 of Tristan und Isolde, in the Karl Bohm/Bayreuth recording (1966). All the music here is drawn, obviously, from complete opera recordings in the Deutsche Grammophon catalog.

As you would expect from a collection so various in provenance (five different conductors, five different orchestras in four countries, a widely diverse crop of singers, with recordings spread over a period of almost 30 years), there is no uniform or consistent point of view here (such as is furnished by the single conductor and orchestra typically recording the Ring cycle of operas). But this is not necessarily a problem; these, after all, are all independent, free-standing, unrelated operas, each with its own character. The performances, singing, and sound quality here are all variable, but all are at a minimum thoroughly competent and listenable, some considerably more than that.

I'm not going to try to comment individually on the diversity of conductors and orchestras represented here. Fully half of the music here is purely orchestral (two overtures and five preludes, totaling 69 minutes). There are also three choral selections, including the bridal chorus from Lohengrin containing the famous wedding music ("Here comes the bride"), and the absolutely stunning Pilgrims' chorus from Tannhauser, rousingly performed by the men of the Covent Garden Chorus (this begins softly, as from a distance, then builds to a terrific climax, then recedes to softness again). Of the soloists who sing long enough here to matter, Gwyneth Jones as Senta gives mingled pleasure and concern: she does some attractive soft singing but occasionally sounds insecure and unsteady, her voice under marginal control. Cheryl Studer is first-rate as both Elsa and Elisabeth; this is able singing, secure from top to bottom, from soft to loud. Siegfried Jerusalem as Lohengrin sings well and sensitively when singing softly or at middle voice; when he opens up, his voice becomes more problematic, and there is strain on top.

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Hans Sachs), great artist though he was in his proper sphere, unfortunately kept straying out of it, as he does here: Hans Sachs, one of the greatest of baritone roles, is for a Wagnerian Heldenbariton, and this Fischer-Dieskau certainly was not. He sounds lightweight, underpowered, and somewhat fussy; sometimes he blusters, sometimes he croons, but he's no Hans Sachs (to hear what can be done with this role you have to go back to earlier recordings by Friedrich Schorr). Placido Domingo (Walther von Stolzing and Parsifal), a famously versatile and capable all-around tenor (an opera-house manager's dream who could, and would, sing just about any role), offers pleasing, sensitive singing in both roles; some have complained that he doesn't sound idiomatic in Wagner, but I'll take his secure, musicianly singing any day over what we usually get these days in Wagner tenor roles. Kurt Moll is an imposing, rich-voiced Gurnemanz.

The most memorable singing here comes from Birgit Nilsson in Isolde's Liebestod; she was the greatest Wagnerian soprano of the second half of the twentieth century (Flagstad and Traubel had seen their best days by 1950), and some would add that she was the only great Wagnerian soprano of the second half of the twentieth century. None of the other singers heard here are in her class as Wagnerians, or, indeed, in terms of basic vocal endowment. She is secure, rock solid, strong on top, commands an enormous dynamic range (she closes on a beautiful pianissimo note), and hearing her unleash her huge voice and letting it soar out over the orchestra is thrilling. This is the kind of singing that hasn't been heard since Flagstad and Traubel from anyone but Nilsson; her Liebestod reminds us of what the seemingly vanishing art of heroic Wagner singing is all about.

In a nutshell, this set is a good value and serves as a useful introduction to the Wagner non-Ring operas.

Tristan & Isolde Highlights
Average customer rating:

Wonderful Highlights of The Complete Opera!

Tristan & Isolde Highlights
Wagner , and Innsbruck Symphony Orchestra
Manufacturer: Pilz
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B00008FL1V
Release Date: 1994-08-09

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Highlights of The Complete Opera!.......2003-04-06

This superlow-priced, 2-CD, nearly anonymous recording of highlights from "Tristan and Isolde" has definitely given me the most pleasant surprize of my music-buying life. There is very little information on the recording: it's conducted by Robert Wagner, with soloists in Innsbruck. The titles of the selections are also included. That's it. What you get on the discs is about a half hour of music from each of the three acts, on two 50-minute CD's. The recording is very good with the exception of a couple of instances of audible page-turning, and the performance is very appealing (during the first week I had it I listened to it three times) and for the most part, the transitions between selections are very smooth. There are only a couple of obvious fadeouts. So while you may want to familiarize yourself with the plot from some other sources, this set is a great way to experience the rapture of doomed love at home in a manageable amount of time.

Wagner: Der fliegende Holländer (Highlights)

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Wagner: Der fliegende Holländer (Highlights)

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000029N4
Release Date: 1997-04-15

Tracks:

Ouverture
Mit Gewitter Und Sturm
Die Frist Ist Um
Johohoe! Traft Ihr Das Schiff
Wie Aus Der Ferne Langst Vergangner Zeiten
Steuermann! Lab Die Wacht!
Willst Jenes Tags Du Nicht Dich Mehr Entsinnen

Wagner: Highlights from Valkyrie, Mastersingers, Tristan & Isolde

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Wagner: Highlights from Valkyrie, Mastersingers, Tristan & Isolde

Manufacturer: Intersound Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000000BMW
Release Date: 1995-03-14

Tracks:

The Valkyrie - Ride of The Valkyries
Wotan's Farewell and Magic Fire Music
The Mastersingers Of Nuremberg - Prelude
Tristan And Isolde - Prelude and Liebestod

Wagner: The Ring of the Nibelungen (Highlights)

Average customer rating:

A Useful Introduction to the Ring
Asleep at the wheel
Release the budget Ring NOW!
A Good Intoduction to the Ring Cycle
Worst Ring I've heard in years

Wagner: The Ring of the Nibelungen (Highlights)

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen (1982 Orchestral Excerpts)

ASIN: B00004ZDLK
Release Date: 2000-10-24

Tracks:

The Rhinegold: Prelude - Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
The Rhinegold: He - Da! He - Da! He - Do! Zu Mir Du Geduft! - Andreas Schmidt
The Rhinegold: Zur Burg Fuhrt Die Brucke - Peter Seiffert
The Rhinegold: Abendlich Strahlt Die Sonne - Marjana Lipovsek
The Rhinegold: Ihrem Ende Eilen Sie Zu - Heinz Zednik
The Rhinegold: Rheingold! Rheingold! - Heinz Zednik
The Valkyrie: Wintersturme Wichen Dem Wonnemond - Rainer Goldberg
The Valkyrie: Du Bist Der Lenz - Cheryl Studer
The Valkyrie: Oh Sussete Wonne! - Cheryl Studer
The Valkyrie: Siegmund Heiss Ich - Cheryl Studer
The Valkyrie: Hojotoho! 'Ride Of The Valkyries' - Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
The Valkyrie: Loge, Hor! - James Morris
The Valkyrie: Feuerzaube 'Magic Fire Music' - James Morris
Siegfried: Was Am Besten Er Kann - Siegfried Jerusalem
Siegfried: Nothung! Nothung! Niedliches Schwert! - Siegfried Jerusalem
Siegfried: Waldweben...Du Holdes Voglein - Siegfried Jerusalem
Siegfried: Nun Sing! Ich Lausche Dem Gesang - Siegfried Jerusalem
Twilight Of The Gods: O Heilge Gotter! - Siegfried Jerusalem
Twilight Of The Gods: Siegfried's Rhine Journey - Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Twilight Of The Gods: Siegfried's Funeral March - Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Twilight Of The Gods: Grane, Mein Ross - Eva Marton
Twilight Of The Gods: Zuruck Vom Ring! - John Tomlinson

Customer Reviews:

A Useful Introduction to the Ring.......2006-03-04

This CD was a pleasant surprise and can be recommended to anyone seeking a brief 1-CD introduction to Wagner's Ring, particularly at its bargain price. I hadn't expected much of it, since Haitink's complete Ring has received mostly unenthusiastic reviews, but it turns out be considerably better than I'd thought.

Let's back up a little and lay some groundwork: Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen, his masterpiece, is a huge work consisting of four long operas. The best Ring on records is the Solti/Vienna Philharmonic version on Decca/London (14 CDs, recorded 1958-65), followed (not very closely, in my opinion) by the Bohm/Bayreuth version on Philips (14 CDs, recorded 1966-67). The Solti is a studio recording; the Bohm comes from live performances at Bayreuth. The Solti version has the best conducting, the best orchestra, the best cast, and the best sound. The reason these two versions are superior to any later versions is largely that the 1960s was the last decade when there were singers available who could cope with the staggering vocal demands of the Ring (in particular Birgit Nilsson, who sings Brunnhilde in both the Solti and Bohm versions). Today, alas, we lack such singers. Hence the Haitink Ring, recorded 1988-1991, has to make do with current vocal resources, which results in seriously compromised singing in some of the major parts. And the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra has never been considered an orchestra in the top echelon.

So what's to like about this recording? First, Haitink, a frequently underrated conductor, proves, at least on the basis of what we hear here, to be an excellent Wagnerian, and he has this orchestra sounding world-class. Second, the sound is excellent. (I've rarely admired EMI's digital sound, but here it is first-rate.) Third, given the impossibility of representing the entire Ring on a single CD, this collection of many (22) brief snippets is as good a Ring "sampler" (for that is all it can be) as could be put together in 72½ minutes. Finally, we are spared most of the problematic singing, and what we get is good enough. James Morris, the Wotan, is excellent; his big, powerful voice, secure and authoritative, is just what's needed for the part. Eva Marton, the Brunnhilde, comes across as too much of a screamer, but fortunately we don't hear much of her here. Siegfried Jerusalem, cast in the impossible part of Siegfried, has a basically pleasing voice and sings intelligently and lyrically; he can't cope with the heroic demands of the role (no one else can either, since Melchior) but offers a sensible compromise. Many of the smaller parts are well taken; in particular I would point out the genuinely thrilling Ride of the Valkyries (with a fine group of Valkyries)-an electrifying performance that should be an ear-opener for anyone used to the usual orchestra-only version of this excerpt. Everything I hear from Haitink and the orchestra on this CD gives pleasure and satisfaction. He may not be the fiery, dramatic dynamo Solti is, but he understands this music and has it and his orchestra well in hand.

In short, if you want only a single-CD introduction to the Ring, this is a good choice, especially at its bargain price. (And if you're already a Ring buff but would like to sample the Haitink cycle, this serves well.) I think better choices (at higher prices) are the well-filled 2-CD selections of Ring highlights from the Bohm/Bayreuth cycle on Philips and the Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic cycle on DG. They are not without their problems, too, but they give you twice as much of the music (two and a half hours) as this single-CD selection, and hence a better idea of the Ring. And there is also a 1-CD selection of highlights from the Solti/Vienna Philharmonic cycle, offering 7 longer, more or less "standard" excerpts, mostly orchestral, instead of the 22 shorter (but choppier) and more varied snippets of the Haitink CD (and at "medium" price instead of budget price).

Asleep at the wheel.......2005-09-27

EMI took a big risk having Haitink conduct a complete Ring since he had never conducted Wagner in the opera house. He turned out to be disappointing all around, with no special insights and a tendency to underplay the most famous orchestral moments. We can mercifully skip over his adequate-to-dismal cast, as even this budget CD of excerpts barely manages to catch them in good form. Only the Barenboim set has worse singers, and that's debatable.

Release the budget Ring NOW!.......2004-02-18

Practically every Ring set or an individual recording is full-priced in the market. The popular ones (Solti/VPO, Boulez/Bayereuth, Levine/Met) are priced at full 4-CD price and vintage recordings by Furtwangler and Knappertbusch are either hard to find, expensive, or simply difficult for newbie listeners to listen because of the mono sound . Well, I guess Haitink's original set seems to pale in comparison with these titles above, but based on the highlights, it sounds just decent. From the highlights, the singing is surprisingly top-notch. Haitink is the one expert on spaciousness of sound. I find the Bavarian Radio a better orchestra than his Concertgebouw for simply more weight in their playing. The Concertgebouw has clarity and spaciousness, but listening to the orchestra is like drinking Diet Coke with ice.

It would be great for EMI to do us a justice and release a full Haitink-Ring set.

A Good Intoduction to the Ring Cycle.......2002-02-11

The perfomances on this CD of highlights from the Haitink,BRSO
recording of the "Ring" on EMI might seem to pale in comparision to the other ones. But I think that one advantage that they have is that they are not "overblown" or "Overdone" The Haitink pays homage to other recordings by having some "sound effects" like the Solti-Culshaw recording on Decca, the singers are all well cast, and do as good a job singing their parts as can be expected. I think it would be good of EMI to re-issue this Ring
recording on CD as a budget set It deserves to remain in the catalog and not be put in limbo. I also recommend the Mozart Magic Flute Hightlights CD also from Seraphim.

Worst Ring I've heard in years.......2001-04-11

This is the worst recording of music from the Ring that I've heard in years. The singing is terrible, and the orchestral playing is boring and ugly. This is definitely the Ring to avoid. If you want some highlights, try a sampler of one of the more successful recordings of the Ring: Karajan, Solti, or Bohm. There are plenty of samplers out there from these recordings, any of which would be more musical and more exciting than this.

Tracks:

Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg: Ov
Tristan Und Isolde: Prld To Act I/Isolde's Liebestod
Parsifal: Prld To Act I
Siegfried Idyll
Goterrdammerung: Immolation Of The Gods

Customer Reviews:

Listenable disc for Wagner 'newbies' .......2004-10-14

This is Naxos' third disc with orchestral music from Wagner's immense work, and although it cannot perhaps match up to some full-price performances by top-class teams, it seems to me to be an eminently 'listenable' disc containing some of Wagner's quieter, more meditative music in acceptable sound quality (the stereo panorama is better than on some of Naxos' earlier productions). The Polish NRSO had, in December 1990, not quite reached the standards it later set under Antoni Wit, but Johannes Wildner obviously managed to spur the orchestra on to a more than respectable achievement. The overture to the 'Meistersinger von Nürnberg' is a rather noisy piece which I felt did not come over as well as the three following tracks: Isolde's 'Liebestod', the Prelude to Act 1 of Parsifal and the Siegfried-Idyll. The tempi are kept very slow and deliberate here (for the Siegfried-Idyll Wildner needs a full three and a half minutes longer than Wolfgang Sawallisch with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra on Philips), which can, on occasion, be a little soporific, but does make it possible to revel in every detail of the score. (Sawallisch's instruments sound rather more polished.) The disc closes with the 'Immolation of the Gods' from the 'Götterdämmerung', bringing together lots of Wagner's leitmotifs. This is definitely not a disc for Wagner buffs; it is one for 'newbies' like myself who are curious to find out why Wagner is revered and/or hated without having to listen to his massive operas all through.

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