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WAGNER on cd.

99K views 671 replies 73 participants last post by  Itullian 
#1 ·
Putting this thread back after the crash.
For all Wagner recording talk.

WAGNER recordings on cd. Your firsts or favorites?

Hope this thread pleases.
 
#2 ·
I'll list the "accepted" best recordings and you can go from there.

1 Ring, Solti
2 Tristan Bohm, Furtwangler mono, Karajan, Kleiber
3 Meistersinger Solti 2, Kubelik, Karajan
4 Parsifal Knappertsbusch '62 Philips, Kubelik, Karajan, Solti
5 Lohengrin Kempe
6 Hollander, Dohnanyi
7 Tannhauser, Solti, Sinopoli
 
#5 ·
I'll list the "accepted" best recordings and you can go from there.

1 Ring, Solti
2 Tristan Bohm, Furtwangler mono, Karajan, Kleiber
3 Meistersinger Solti 2, Kubelik, Karajan
4 Parsifal Knappertsbusch '62 Philips, Kubelik, Karajan, Solti
5 Lohengrin Kempe
6 Hollander, Dohnanyi
7 Tannhauser, Solti, Sinopoli
I had always thought the universally accepted top Dutchman was the Klemperer?

 
#3 · (Edited)



Two Die Walkures to add to any collection.........

Leinsdorf 1962 studio (stereo)
When you hear this great spirited Walkure you'll wish Leinsdorf had been allowed to make a complete ring, wonderful full vivid sound and some of the best singers ever to perform the roles, again very cheap $14 at Amazon USA

Furtwangler 1954 studio (mono)
This was first installment of a planned studio ring with WP orchestra, great mono studio sound (much better than any of the live Furtwangler Rings) with great golden era cast of 1950s singers, $15 used at Amazon USA
 
#496 ·
Leinsdorf 1962 studio (stereo)
When you hear this great spirited Walkure you'll wish Leinsdorf had been allowed to make a complete ring, wonderful full vivid sound and some of the best singers ever to perform the roles, again very cheap $14 at Amazon USA
I just gave this a listen based on your recommendation and I got to say wow it was really fantastic. Walkure was never my favorite of the Cycle for some reason but this recording helped to pull it up higher. I love the tempos. They bring out the drive and danger in the piece. I had put it on as background and within 30 seconds of the opening I had to stop what I was doing. I sat down and listened to the whole recording even though it took me till almost midnight. Wonderful recommendation
 
#4 ·
thanks, i have the Leinsdorf and like it alot, great singing. i really like Karajan's dg Walkure alot too. and Bohm's live one, very exciting.
thanks again
 
#7 ·
just got done listening to the Abendroth 42 Meister. What a wonderful live performance. the sound is great except for about 10 mins. to start act 2 and about 5 mins starting act 3.
Best singing I've heard. Would be a fav except for the wow i mentioned in act 2 and the predominance of the trumpet at the end. what a great Sachs. but a truly great performance.

and to think, there were BOMBS dropping outside.
 
#9 ·
I want more Meistersinger. have the Jochum. what's my next one?
 
#12 · (Edited)
#14 · (Edited)
i want that one 2. :)

i'd rreally like more of a base baritone Sachs, but where? Solti 1? Bailey?
 
#16 ·
the entire Karajan stereo Meister is on youtube!!!
gonna listen.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Made a couple used Wagner purchases........
strange correlation the more we discuss Cds the more I buy :(



I have the Sinopoli Tannhauser with Domingo/Studer, so I decided to go for another round

The sampler with Hotter and Nilsson is in very good 1950s mono sound, I love to hear historical Wagner singers but I have my limits as to how much compromise in sound quality I am willing to endure......no problem here
 
#18 ·
seems like you know every recording out there. very knowledgable.
 
#20 ·
yeah i'm fooled.

wish there was more Wagner talk here.

anyone have the Reiner Meistersinger?
 
#21 · (Edited)
Who Gets the Golden "Ring"?

Gold "RING" fever started when Decca/London Solti and Philips Bohm (the London LP's were auto changer player ready, just stack and play... the Philips LP's were manual single sided play only) Both record companies had issued the first complete recordings of "Der Ring des Nibelungen" in history. In 1973 that was huge... Do I pick the "Studio" recording, with it's great sound effects or the Live "Bayreuther Festspiele" recording with the superb sonics of the Festspiele house, the opera house that Wagner built? Both recordings had high interest, almost the same cast, and both offered the complete "Ring" to those opera nuts called Wagnerians. To add to all the drama... the Met Opera was putting on it's first complete "Ring cycle" in many a year... missing decades from the Met's repertory... and to be completed in 1975. Sir Rudolf Bing, General Manager at the Met, a post he held for 22 years, disliked Wagner... hence no "Ring(s)" under his watch... period) After much soul searching... I brought the Philips/Bohm Live "Bayreuther Festspiele" the 16 LP recording at "Sam Goodies in NYC for $48. (hey, that was a lot of money back then) It was that same week, I spotted a tiny 4 line ad in the NYTimes... offering a 10 week course/lecture, playing the complete recording from the Decca/London Solti Ring in a living room setting with audiophile high end sound. Class limit, 12. At the courses end, as a group, we would attended Wagner's "Gotterdammerung" in box seats at the Met... (by the way this would be was to be my first opera... Yes, Wagner's "Gotterdammerung" was my first opera?... Talk about going in the deep end... After the eye and ear opening 10 sessions and seeing Wagner live I had to add the Decca/Solti Ring recording to my LP collection... I was now armed with two "Rings" Cycles recorded and one live. It was then while reading the Decca/London Das Rheingold libretto I discovered that Decca had written Wagner's leitmotif's in the margins... that was awesome. Recently I took out my worn Philips Ring LP libretto's (still my English translation of choice). I had forgotton, I had taken the time, those many years ago, to add my own hand written leitmotifs in the margins of the three remaining "Ring" operas (see the attached). What was I thinking? Impressive?... lol... Today... LPs to CDs to CDs remastered, Solti/Bohm remain my top desert island "Ring" discs for my iPod... what about batteries, you ask,?... I've thought of that too... my iPod is fitted with a tiny solar panel to generate power... :)
 

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#22 ·


Any takers on the Barenboim complete Wagner opera set........price is good Presto UK sale price $101

The oop complete Solti boxset commands a hefty $430 used at Amazon USA

I think many of the Barenboim non Ring operas here are well regarded (Tristan, Parsifal) with high quality modern sound, I suspect at this low price you will only get bare bones booklet, no data disc mentioned
 
#24 ·
Since I feel it does not get enough credit. I must recommend to anyone looking for a great Ring that they consider Krauss 1953. Considering that it can be purchased on MP3 for 12 bucks at Amazon, I think it's well worth sampling for any Wagner fan, or interested observer........oh, yeah, there are CD's available too :)
 
#25 · (Edited)
Since I feel it does not get enough credit. I must recommend to anyone looking for a great Ring that they consider Krauss 1953. Considering that it can be purchased on MP3 for 12 bucks at Amazon, I think it's well worth sampling for any Wagner fan, or interested observer........oh, yeah, there are CD's available too :)


Krauss 1953 Bayreuth just got a nice upgrade with Orfeo remaster using original master tapes, also you can see on cover that it received the Wagner family endorsement (if that is important to you) The Opera D'Oro label boxset with cool graphics is now hard to find new and very expensive used.

I made a tidy profit, purchased mine for $6 new on Ebay a few years ago and recently sold for $60 used at Amazon USA (selling used now for $122, ridiculous price) The new Orfeo remaster can be purchased for $92 at ArkivMusic. There is also a detailed review of the set reprinted from Fanfare Magazine

I told JF recently the sound does have a little better clearer detail vs old Opera D'Oro set, but nothing real dramatic

BTW the price for MP3 of Opera D'Oro set at Amazon USA is much more than $12 now, currently $72.49 :(
 
#27 · (Edited)
if you have the Furtwangler, how does the Krauss compare to it soundwise? i like the Frtwglr sound fine.

which do you prefer Bohm or Keilbirth?

thanks for the review.

i have HvK, Bohm, Boulez, Frtwglr rai, Levine dvd.
 
#28 · (Edited)
I will get the Bohm out and compare to Keilberth tomorrow, I would not be surprised if Keilberth actually had better sound......it is very good! As to singers that is a very subjective call, since new budget packaging has Bohm Ring for under $50 no excuse not to own it



Do not have a Furtwangler Ring......but do have 1954 EMI studio Walkure, one of his last recordings. Can't do a comparison but surely it will sound much better than Walkure in one of his Ring sets

Many people seem to like the Gebhardt remaster of Furtwangler Ring.......do you have it?



The new EMI boxset is so cheap now I may have to finally break down and buy it :rolleyes:
 
#32 ·
the emi is a great ring.
 
#36 · (Edited)


1956 Knappertsbusch Bayreuth Ring
Wotan - Hans Hotter
Brunhilde - Astrid Varnay
Siegfried - Wolfgang Windgassen

While talking about Wagner Ring from the 1950s I think this one is actually preferrable sonically to remastered Krauss/Orfeo, vocals are about equal in detail and clarity but the orchestral section is slightly more detailed and natural with this Knappy Ring, 2001 remaster by Music & Arts. Also I get a greater sense of 3D space with Knap compared to the Krauss, again just a more natural believable sound

Great price $37 at Amazon USA sellers, bare bones booklet in slim clamshell box.

Knappy is more majestic style overall compared to a more dramatic Krauss so good to have both just experience different style, share some common singers but there are some important changes in some roles...so again I give you more reasons to own both, price is a steal!

The 1955 Keilberth/Testament is still far better sound and the one to get if money is no object......
 
#37 ·


1956 Knappertsbusch Bayreuth Ring

While talking about Wagner Ring from the 1950s I think this one is actually preferrable sonically to remastered Krauss/Orfeo, vocals are about equal in detail and clarity but the orchestral section is slightly more detailed and natural with this Knappy Ring, 2001 remaster by Music & Arts. Great price $37 at Amazon USA sellers, bare bones booklet in slim clamshell box.

Knappy is more majestic style overall compared to a more dramatic Krauss so good to have both just experience different style, share some common singers but there are some important changes in some roles...so again I give you more reasons to own both, price is a steal!

The 1955 Keilberth/Testament is still far better sound and the one to get if money is no object......
wow you know em all.
 
#38 ·
i think furty gets the tempos better than most. while i appreciate bohm's excitement i enjoy the journey more with furt. i like Karajans speeds too, but his interpretation's not for everyone, i admit. but i do it's revelatory and genius.
 
#41 ·
Most people love Furtwangler's Wagner Ring, he just never lived long enough to record a Ring in great sound quality paired with top orchestra.....the 1954 studio Walkure with WP gave us a glimpse of what could have been.

I think people underestimate Karajan's Wagner Ring, his style is well fitted to evoke the timeless beauty and majestic power of the music, he is let down in his 1960s Ring by a couple weak links in the cast. It is popular sport to talk down his work among the "expert" wagner crowd......best to listen with ones own ears

Bohm 1960s live Bayreuth Ring has little to critique, great cast of singers + great performance + great sound = great Ring. The amazing low price currently offered for boxset makes this essential

I am slowly coming around to realizing the stature of Barenboim 1990s Ring, he is a great Wagner conductor and the singers of his time may not reach the heights of the 1950-60 elite group but they have thier strengths and the excellent sound gives it a real edge in my book
 
#46 ·
Just bought the Meistersinger 1960 version from Amazon (thanks, Dark Angel). I found there an enthusiastic review (of the Melodram release, not available any more) by a person who owns 13 versions of the opera and says this is the best one :).

I doubted whether to buy the Myto release or wait for a release by another label more committed to sound quality (Orfeo for example, who recently released Knappertsbusch's Fliegender Holländer with excellent sound), but finally decided not to wait any more.

If you're interested, you should better hurry up, as there are only two units left!
 
#50 ·
Favorite Tristan and Isolde:

Furtwangler 1952 (Flagstad, Suthaus)
Reiner 1936 (Flagstad, Melchior)
Bohm (Nilsson, Windgassen)

Still haven't listened to Karajan Bayreuth 1952 yet, but it's next on the list. As I'm currently in love with Kirsten Flagstad, especially after the Reiner production, I don't know if Modl really has a chance.
 
#51 ·
Favorite Tristan and Isolde:

Furtwangler 1952 (Flagstad, Suthaus)
Reiner 1936 (Flagstad, Melchior)
Bohm (Nilsson, Windgassen)

Still haven't listened to Karajan Bayreuth 1952 yet, but it's next on the list. As I'm currently in love with Kirsten Flagstad, especially after the Reiner production, I don't know if Modl really has a chance.
What about a more modern Tristan with Nina Stemme or Waltraud Meier?
Nice to have modern sound........

 
#53 ·
anyone have the Barenboim Meister?
 
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