Thread: Your favorite moment in DER RING?

After sitting and hearing the first 13 hours of the "Ring Cycle" I revel in the music and endless chatter of the three "Norns"... Spinning the past, the present, the future... The rope snaps, and then there's nothing. No future... "down... down to mother". The end of the Gods is near... I find the Norn scene very moving...

Three Norns.jpg

Siegfried's Rhine Journey

The start of Act 1 of Rheingold - love the Walhal leitmotif

Originally Posted by GrosseFugue

Hey there, I'm calling out to the Wagnerites (Wagnerians?) to share their favorite moments in Der Ring and which version they prefer. Love to know what truly stands out for you guys.

For me it's probably Wotan's Farewell at the end of Die Walkure. Although Brunnhilde's Immolation is a very close second! I've been listening over and over to the Hans Hotter/Solti version. I LOVE that supercharged orchestral sound Solti conjures up right after: "Denn Einer nur freie die Braut, der freier als ich, der Gott!" (For one alone winneth the bride; one freer than I, the god!)

Though I understand Hans Hotter was past his prime in this recording (he could've fooled me!).

Just today I got a chance to hear a more "youthful" Wotan as sung by Rene Pape. HOLY COW! This guy is AWESOME:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY5wD...eature=related

Anyways...

So what's your single favorite stand-out moment?

Ooh, yes! So excited for Pape's Wotan in March 2012!

Here's one of my favourite moments that hasn't been mentioned already.

Originally Posted by eorrific

Here's one of my favourite moments that hasn't been mentioned already.

That's it!
Umfängt Siegmund Sieglinde dort?

The Ring is in my top 3, so it's hard to choose. There are so many epic moments.

Judging from what I listen to the most (while walking or ironing or just having a random "NEED SOME WAGNER NOW" moment and going to Youtube):

Brünnhilde's Immolation (guilty of singing along)
Hagen's Watch
Hagen's Call
The "let's kill Siegfried" trio
"Helle Wehr! Heilige Waffe!"
Wotan's Farewell
Rheingold's finale from "Schwüles Gedünst" on
"Siegmund heiss ich! Und Siegmund bin ich!"
Walküre Act II finale
Wotan banishing Brünnhilde
The Riddle Scene
Enter the Giants (I just LOVE their motif, wish it was longer)

Loge's sarcastic stuff at the very end of Rheingold. especially in the Boulez ring. love that ending.

Originally Posted by Itullian

Loge's sarcastic stuff at the very end of Rheingold. especially in the Boulez ring. love that ending.

Loge gets all the best music.

EXACTLY! A stupendously dramatic moment in Die Walkure, and then so sublime in Die Götterdämmerung! C.......BCD.........CBC..D(the last D an octave lower) - I transposed it to all white keys to make it easier to type

Originally Posted by AmericanGesamtkunstwerk

in Walkure when Brunnhilde tells Sieglinde that she is pregnant with the best hero ever, Sieglinde replies "Magnificent Victory!" with a really phenomenal short piece of melody... it's that same line that is repeated at the end of Gotterdammerung when valhalla is burning. magnificent victory

Siegfried's funeral march, anyone?

Originally Posted by tannhaeuser

Siegfried's funeral march, anyone?

I'm up for that.

Along with many of the scenes already mentioned, I'll add the Walküre Act II dialogue between Siegmund and Brünnhilde, where his love for Sieglinde convinces her to disobey Wotan and try to help him. The long, slow orchestral harmonies underpinning the scene are lovely and convey his nobility.

How about the Forging Song in Siegfried?

My total favourite bit. At the Royal Opera House they give this to the double basses as sight reading. Marvellous!

This is much like trying to figure out, which part of a physical ring is the highest!

Originally Posted by Xaltotun

This is much like trying to figure out, which part of a physical ring is the highest!

Yes! I can rather name my least favorite moments - some of that dialogue between Wotan and Brünhilde in "Die Walküre". The rest of it is all awesome. Here's one I love a lot:



It seemes to me very sad though. There is so much love and passion here but it turns to bitterness and revenge very soon.