Commented Discography of Wagner Operas
by RML

re:opera

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Der Fliegende Holländer | Tannhäuser | Lohengrin | Tristan und Isolde

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg | Der Ring des Nibelungen | Parsifal

Olivier Galiri’s commented discography of the Ring des Nibelungen

 

 

~Der Fliegende Holländer

1 - Jane Eaglen (Senta), Felicity Palmer (Mary), Peter Seiffert (Erik), Rolando Villazón (Steuermann), Falk Struckmann (Holländer), Robert Holl (Daland), Berliner Staatsopernchor, Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel Barenboim

1 - Gwyneth Jones (Senta), Sieglinde Wagner ((Mary), Hermin Esser (Erik), Harald Ek (Steuermann), Thomas Stewart (Holländer), Karl Ridderbusch (Daland), Bayreuther Festspiel Orchester und Chor, Karl Böhm

2 - Leonie Rysanek (Senta), Rosalind Elias (MMary), Karl Liebl (Erik), Richard Lewis (Steuermann), George London (Holländer), Giorgio Tozzi (Daland), Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Antal Dorati

3 - Dunja Vejzovic (Senta), Kaja Borris (Maryy), Peter Hofmann (Erik), Thomas Moser (Steuermann), José van Dam (Holländer), Kurt Moll (Daland), Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan

4 - Marianne Schech (Senta), Sieglinde Wagnerr (Mary), Rudolf Schock (Erik), Fritz Wunderlich (Steuermann), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Holländer), Gottlob Fick (Daland), Staatskapelle Berlin, Franz Konwitschny

5 - Viorica Ursuleac (Senta), Louise Willer ((Mary), Karl Ostertag (Erik), Franz Klarwein (Steuermann), Hans Hotter (Holländer), Georg Hahn (Daland), Bayerische Staatsopernorchester und chor, Clemens Krauss

6 - Lisbeth Balslev (Senta), Anny Schlemm (Maary), Robert Schunk (Erik), Graham Clark (Steuermann), Simon Estes (Holländer), Matti Salminen (Daland), Bayreuther Festspiel Orchester und Chor, Woldemar Nelsson

7 - Julia Varady (Senta), Anny Schlemm (Mary)), Peter Seiffert (Erik), Ulrich Ress (Steuermann), Robert Hale (Holländer), Jaakko Ryhänen (Daland), Bayerische Staatsoper Orchester und Chor, Wolfgang Sawallisch

8 - Hildegard Behrens (Senta), Anita Vällkki (Mary), Raimo Sirkiä (Erik), Jorma Silvasti (Steuermann), Franz Grundheber (Holländer), Matti Salminen (Daland), Savolinna Opera Festival Orchestra, Leif Segerstram

9 - Cheryl Studer (Senta), Uta Priew (Mary), Plácido Domingo (Erik), Peter Seiffert (Steuermann), Bernd Weikl (Holländer), Hans Sotin (Daland), Deutsche Oper, Giuseppe Sinopoli

"Der Fliegende Holländer" is considered to be Wagner’s first Wagnerian opera, in the sense that, even keeping a Weberian atmosphere, the bold harmonies, vivid musical-dramatic description and the peculiar vocal writing are already there. The opera was premièred in Dreden with the famous Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient as Senta. In what is called the "original version", there were three acts WITHOUT intermissions but short linking interludes, there was no "redemption" music in the end of the opera and the ballad was in A minor. However, already in the first performance, the ballad was transposed down a whole tone. For performances in Paris in 1860, Wagner revised the overture, added the "redemption" music (also in the overture) and retouched the orchestration. The majority of performances opt for no intervals and redemption music.

I would call this a conductor’s opera - there are many different ways to perform this work, from purely Weberian to late-Wagner-style, but the key to sucess here is managing to portray the varied atmospheres in the most contrasting manner. The two main roles are some of the most difficult in the repertoire. For the Dutchman, bass-baritone does not mean an in-between, but both bass and baritone at the same time. Senta similarly insists in places in the soprano range where it is not very easy to be powerful. The other roles are conventional lyric-heroic and lyric tenors and a bass.

We start our discography with the Ur-Aufnahme of this opera - the Clemens Krauss from the Bavarian State Opera. The conducting here is simply perfect - particularly the control of tempo and rhythm. The accuracy with which the orchestra and singers deal with their notes is a lesson and the atmosphere is exciting in a highly theatrical level. Although the singers are closely recorded, one can still clearly listen to the orchestra, playing beautifully. Hotter was 35 and there is nothing yawny in his voice here. At the contrary, it is wonderfully clean. The richness and power in the whole range is exceptional, and one could rightly claim that the straightness of some top notes add atmosphere. Hotter is also precision itself with pitch and note values and portrays the tormented nature of the character with his heart and soul. The rest of the cast is not in this level. Viorica Ursuleac, Mrs.Krauss, has a floating lyric soprano which moves cautiously, but opens easily for the top notes. Sometimes, she is a bit squally and it remains a tacky performance, but it has a vulnerable quality about it that is interesting. Karl Ostertag’s Erik has some amazingly heroic top notes, but his phrasing is clumsy and Franz Klarwein’s Steuermann is rather beefy. Worst of all is the Daland. He has no idea of how to sing top notes - it is almost funny. The recording shows a bit its age (1944), but it does not spoil the fun. The Preiser issue is preferable to Arkadia.

Karl Böhm’s performance was recorded in Bayreuth in 1971 and has all the advantages of his recording of the Ring, without the disadvantages. The same highly theatrical, slightly raw energetic approach is to be found here, albeit displayed in a more finished manner. As a matter of fact, the orchestra and choir respond beautifully. His tempi tend to be fast, but with well defined rhythms and clarity, helped by well-balanced recording. In Gwyneth Jones, Böhm found the best Senta in this discography. Her ability to colour her voice at will makes for intense expression and the way she shifts from her breathtaking floating pianissimi to powerful full voiced singing is simply amazing. This is one of her most interesting recordings. Hermin Esser’s tenor is a bit dry, but he sounds convincing as Erik. Harald Ek’s Steerman is rather tight too if lively. I think that Ridderbusch’s voice was too high for the role of Daland when he recorded it. He seems happier when not obliged to plunge in the bottom of his range. And there is Thomas Stewart’s Holländer. The voice is certainly handsome enough and he sings without forcing. Only the tone is rather light for the role and sometimes he has to distort a bit to produce the necessary Angst. If he could have sung in Sinopoli’s recording, it would have been splendid, but in Böhm’s thrilling recording, a Hans Hotter as he used to sing in the days of Krauss’s recording was needed.

Karajan’s recording is an altogether eccentric affair. This would probably the recording which relates this work more to late Wagner style, with echos of Parsifal all over the performance. In a certain sense, this is Holländer through a magnifying glass - there are Karajan’s playing with extreme dynamic effects, a certain fancy for highlighting unusual things in the score and the tendency to make every little moment THE moment, but there is also clear and powerful string playing from the Berlin Philharmonic and a well-defined dramatic purpose. The role of the Holländer is here given to a singer not usually associated with the role, although he came to sing it on stage quite often - José van Dam. Naturally, his voice is not really powerful, but dB’s are replaced by sensitive tone-colouring, helped by Karajan’s softer dynamics. Thus, the monologue’s less outspoken moments sound intimate and meditative. He also does wonderfully in the duet with Senta, also excentrically cast in this recording. Although Catharina Ligendza sang the live performances, the recording features mezzo soprano Dunja Vejzovic. Her voice is not really beautiful and she tends to get strained in top notes, but her fervency and ease with mezza voce makes for an intense performance. Peter Hofmann’s voice is also a bit strained as Erik, but his dark and forceful singing is most welcome. Kurt Moll and Thomas Moser are exemplary as Daland and the Steerman.

Sawallisch’s video is the natural alternative to the Bayreuth production with Simon Estes and Lisbeth Balslev - besides it being a traditional staging, it is also a beautiful Romantic one, with a certain fairytale looks about it. The main roles are strongly taken. Julia Varady is particularly radiant as Senta, offering the best sung performance of this role in recordings, with her gleaming tone and emotional approach. Peter Seiffert is one of the most handsome-voiced Eriks in this discography. Ryhänen and Ress are also firm-voiced and expressive as Daland and the Steerman. Only Robert Hale is caught short sometimes as the Holländer. His bass-baritone certainly is velvety enough, but it tends to get bleached in the most exposed notes, either top or low. On the other hand, he does look tormented enough. Sawallisch’s conducting is very efficient, although not exactly the most intense one could think of. The Bavarian State Orchestra offers some beautiful sounds throughout.

There is also the video from Savonlinna, where, in theory, there is the benefit of the setting - an old fortress by the lake - but, picturesque as it is, it does not fit the story as a glove. Moreover, the production is ugly, with some weird costumes. Segerstram’s conducting is honest and fitting to the score and the orchestra is richly recorded - but there is nothing innovative or insightful going on here. The main interest is the Holländer of Franz Grundheber, whose rounded voice and legato-ish manners are enough to single him out in the discography. It is certainly pleasant and very expressive. Hildegard Behrens is also in good voice as Senta. Both tenors are fresh-toned and Salminen is a forceful Daland.

Sinopoli’s recording is probably the perfect opposite of Karajan’s. Here the concept is Weberian all the way, with light sound perspectives, an emphasis on clear rhythms and articulation and a certain classical measured atmosphere. The Deutsche Oper follows Sinopoli’s idea faithfully and it is nicely recorded. Cheryl Studer is a clear voiced Senta, who sings with welcome poise and offers exquisite top notes. Hans Sotin’s Daland is routine, but Seiffert certainly is glamourous casting as the steersman. On the other hand, Plácido Domingo was in very poor voice and in his less commendable behaviour. Bernd Weikl’s Holländer was a controversial choice. His voice has always been light-toned for the role and, by the time he recorded it, had lost some of its power. He was conscious enough not to try a Hans Hotter-like performance and sings in a quasi-Mozartian manner throughout, which is quite in keeping with Sinopoli’s approach.

Barenboim's recording counts with spacious crystalline recorded sounded by Teldec and adept playing from the Staatskapelle Berlin. These elements are important for the conductor's large-scale account - rich orchestral sound, concern with detail, dramatic effects. His tempi are not necessarily slow - they are actually faster than many - but an overcarefulness with articulation and the lack of forward movement when structure tends to be simpler prevent this from being really memorable. He seems happier dealing with public than private scene, where the ample acoustics are the key to success. As Senta, Jane Eaglen has firm and bright enough a voice, but her performance is unengaging as a whole - she is more than often hooty, some important top notes are thin and her sense of pitch proves here to be suspect. On the other hand, there is a sense of danger in Falk Struckmann's fat dark-toned Holländer which is most welcome. His portrayal is intense and tormented - one to be placed among the best. Peter Seiffert's Erik has developed to be more theatrical and less gracious, still admirable nonetheless. Robert Holl has grey patches in his voices, but is an efficient Daland. Felicity Palmer is the best Mary in the discography - and Rolando Villazón (eeringly simmilar to the young Domingo here) is an ardent compelling Steersman.

 

~Tannhäuser

 

1 - Jane Eaglen (Elisabeth), Waltraud Meier ((Venus), Peter Seifert (Tannhäuser), Gunnar Gudbjörnsson (Walther), Thomas Hampson (Wolfram), René Pape (The Landgraf), Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel Barenboim

2 - Gwyneth Jones (Elisabeth/Venus), Spas Wennkoff (Tannhäuser), Robert Schunk (Walther), Bernd Weikl (Wolfram), Hans Sotin (The Landgraf), Bayreuther Festspiele, Colin Davis

3 - Lucia Popp (Elisabeth), Waltraud Meier (Venus), Klaus König (Tannhäuser), Siegfried Jerusalem (Walther), Bernd Weikl (Wolfram), Kurt Moll (The Landgraf), Bayerische Rundfunk, Bernard Haitink

4 - Elisabeth Grümmer (Elisabeth), Mariaanne Schech (Venus), Hans Hopf (Tannhäuser), Fritz Wunderlich (Walther), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Wolfram), Gottlob Frick (The Landgraf), Staatskapelle Berlin, Franz Konwitschny

5 - Eva Marton (Elisabeth), Tatiana Troyanos (Venus), Richard Cassilly (Tannhäuser), Robert Nagy (Walther), Bernd Weikl (Wolfram), John Macurdy (The Landgraf), The Metropolitan Opera, James Levine

6 - Nadine Secunde (Elisabeth), Waltraud Meieer (Venus), René Kollo (Tannhäuser), Claes Ähnsjo (Walther), Bernd Weikl (Wolfram), Jan-Hendrik Rootering (The Landgraf), Bayerische Staatsoper, Zubin Mehta

7 - Cheryl Studer (Elisabeth), Ruthild Engertt-Ely (Venus), Richard Versalle (Tannhäuser), William Pell (Walther), Wolfgang Brendel (Wolfram), Hans Sotin (The Landgraf), Bayreuther Festspiel, Giuseppe Sinopoli

8 - Cheryl Studer (Elisabeth), Agnes Baltsa ((Venus), Plácido Domingo (Tannhäuser), William Pell (Walther), Andreas Schmidt (Wolfram), Matti Salminen (The Landgraf), Philharmonia, Giuseppe Sinopoli

9 - Helga Dernesch (Elisabeth), Christa Ludwiig (Venus), René Kollo (Tannhäuser), Werner Hollweg (Walther), Victor Braun (Wolfram), Hans Sotin (The Landgraf), Wiener Philharmoniker, Georg Solti

Tannhäuser and its two contrasting universes represented by the chaste Elisabeth and Venus, the goddess of love, has been accused of being an invitation to sin - since Venusberg is depicted as a quite more attractive place than the Wartburg. The truth is that the works has its irregularities. Differently from Lohengrin, where the influence of French grand opéra is used to great purpose, here some conventions really play no effect at all. However, the opera doesn’t overdo its length and works beautifully. Wagner worked on it on several occasions and several editions emerged. This whole affair can be reduced to two main versions: the Dresden and the Paris editions. The Dresden one has a simpler Venusberg scene (hint to identify the versions: if the word "Sinn" in "Geliebter, sag, wo weilt dein Sinn" is a top note, it is the Dresden edition) and the second tenor gets an extra "aria" in the act II competition, among other things. The Paris editions has a longer bacchanale connected to the overture and a more complex Venusberg scene in late Wagner style etc. The problem about casting Tannhäuser has above all to do with the title role. It is a kind of "La Traviata" for tenor: in act 1, he has to have flexibility and freshness of tone; in act 2; he needs a lyric flowing quality for the first part and a powerful voice in order to be heard above the ensemble; and in act 3, his theatrical skills must be at 100% and a dramatic voice makes all the difference of the world in the Rome Narration. Few singers could do all that. As for the other characters, they are archetypal German repertoire voices: a jugendlich dramatisch Sopran for Elsa, a dramatisch Sopran for Venus (although mezzos always sing it, because they sound and look sexier), a light soprano for the Shepherd (although it is meant for a boy soprano), a lyric German baritone for Wolfram and a dark bass for the Landgraf.

As I do prefer the Paris version, I’ll start with the Paris version recordings. Solti’s is considered to be a classic. The performance itself does not have major flaws, although Solti feels more comfortable with more rhythmic passages than in those where tempo and structure are more elastic. The recorded sound could be more spontaneous, though - it is too much the big Decca sound and some important details do not come through as easily as they should. The Vienna Philharmonic is also in great shape. Helga Dernesch’s big rich voice works beautifully for Elisabeth, even if her top notes do not develop as one would expect, but they are firm and bright. I also like the passionate way with which she deals with Elisabeth’s predicaments. Predictably, Christa Ludwig’s Venus is perfect. The only problem is that, with such a dominant Venus, it is really hard to find a tenor in her level. Although René Kollo is not that, he is in really fresh voice. To be honest, he does not accomplish in optimal levels none of what is required from him. He aspirates his phrases in act 1, he lacks warmth in act 2 and weight in act 3 - but what he offers instead is attractive: youthful tone and commitment. I like his snarling in the act 3 Narration, for example. Victor Braun, however, is a disappointing Wolfram. When one thinks that Hermann Prey was supposed to be in this recording, one feels less inclined to accept Braun’s uninspired singing. Hans Sotin lacks some darkness for his role, but his is a noble portrait. The secondary roles are very well taken and the boy Shepherd is an endearing piece of casting.

Sinopoli’s version is 100% controversial. His conducting is very exciting and some might think it lacks repose and spiritual quality. It certainly is a theatrical experience and that’s what opera is supposed to be about. Moreover, the Philharmonia is in splendid shape. The Philharmonia chorus is less successful, though- they have poor German, to start with. Sinopoli also takes the option of making Tannhäuser sing alone in Zum Heil den Sündigen zu führen and then the rest of the soloists (generally, everybody sings at the same time in the Paris version). Cheryl Studer is a touching Elisabeth, sounding more girlish than all her rivals. It must be said that her mezza voce might sound unstable, though. Although some accuse Agnes Baltsa of ugly tone and accented German, I think this is silly - she is very exciting and sexy as Venus (I do not think one has to sing as an angel to be seductive...) and, even if she has a light accent, she makes complete sense with the text. That is not exactly the case with Domingo. His lack of ease with German impares his legato and prevent his act III from being a complete success. He is in beautiful voice throughout, though. Andreas Schmidt is a decent Wolfram, but not more than this. Matti Salminen is an incisive Landgraf. Barbara Bonney does not sound boyish at all, but is in beautiful voice.

The video from the Met features a traditional staging, not particularly beautiful. Levine's conducting is very nice and he makes the best of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, which, at that time, was not competitive. As always, the chorus at the Met is very poor and their German should be worked out. Eva Marton’s vocalism is too big for Elisabeth and lacks smoothness, but she was in firm voice and is commited in the dramatic situations. Also, the ease with which she takes first place in ensembles is admirable. On the other hand, Tatiana Troyanos is a sensuous Venus. Richard Cassilly’s case is very serious - the tone is amazingly pinched and stressed. He clearly is unable to sing the role - during act II, he simply shuts up and often lets his lines go unsung. Bernd Weikl’s Wolfram is a bit heavy and John Macurdy is only decent as the Landgraf. The recorded sound is very good.

The Bavarian State Opera staging is everything BUT traditional. I am still trying to figure what a crocodile and an asteroid have to do with Tannhäuser. Mehta’s conducting is excellent, with the Italian qualities of the score brought to the fore. Also, the Bavarian State orchestra is in great shape and the recorded sound is natural and pleasing. Nadine Secunde is a stately Elsa, sung in rich and velvety tone. On the other hand, Waltraud Meier is alluring and sensuous as Venus. She looks wonderful with her strapless dress and...well... she makes one forget who is Wagner! Although her voice is not intrinsically beautiful, she makes wonderful use of it and ends on being a complete success in the role. What can I say about René Kollo? He is really past his best and the voice is worn and unstable. He does look demonic and produces a gripping Rome Narration, but his performance is an acquired taste. Bernd Weikl is again Wolfram and again I find his voice heavy to the role. Rootering is unimpressive as the Langraf. The boy Shepherd is excellent.

Now the Dresden version performances. The Konwitschny recording’s charm is a very discrete but persuasive one. The conductor has everything in perfect control. It is not a flamboyant, revolutionary performance, but kapellmeisterlich in the best sense of the word - reliable and satisfying. Moreover, EMI Electrola recorded it in amazing sound for its age. Grümmer is a radiant Elisabeth - I cannot think of a part more suitable to her voice and personality, but Marianne Schech is shallow as Venus. Hans Hopf’s voice is a plausible instrument for act III, but he is clumsy most of the time. I think he was not in good voice when he recorded it. He sounds effortful and is not very musicianly, although the baritonal tone of his tenor is pleasing. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau is a wonderful Wolfram and this performance is a model of how the role should be sung. Gottlob Frick is in top form as the Landgraf and Fritz Wunderlich as Walther is glamourous and a most exciting piece of casting.

Colin Davis’s recording in Bayreuth is not pure Dresden - it begins as Paris and shifts to Dresden when Venus is about to sing. This weird edition used to be sucessful in Bayreuth, but it is not found anywhere else. Colin Davis offers here his best Wagnerian performance. Although the ouverture and bacchanale are a bit square (probably to accomodate a complex ballet, which is a bit too 70’s, but really successful in conveying the atmosphere of sensuousness and damnation), the rest of the opera has an appealing lyrical quality and the choice of tempi is a good compromise between dramatic and musical needs (the hymn to Venus is, for example, clearly slower than usual to help the tenor). Also, the Bayreuth orchestra and chorus were in top form, offering zippy articulation and responding wonderfully to the dramatic situations. Gwyneth Jones plays both soprano parts here. It is characteristic of this great artist that she looks and sound as two completely different singers. Her Venus does not offer the sultry sexy tone mezzos usually do, but it has a nonchalance that goes with the stage direction given to her. On the other hand, her Elisabeth is at once powerful and pure-toned. Her control of dynamics makes wonders in the act II ensemble and her prayer in act III is of rare beauty. Spas Wenkoff is also a most accomplished actor and being on stage long before he starts to sing only proves it. He has a dark beautiful voice which takes readily to legato - more than with most Wagnerian tenors. Although he is a bit cautious with his top notes, his technique is also very solid and he is rarely caught short in such a difficult role. Bernd Weikl is in theory a good Wolfram, but he is forcing too much here. Sotin is his realiable self, Robert Schunk is a pleasant Walther and the boy from the Tölzer Choir is excellent as the Shepherd. The creativity of the staging, Wenkoff’s beautifully sung Tannhäuser and Gwyneth Jones’ topless Venus plus Vanessa Redgrave-ish Elisabeth alone make it a must see.

Although Haitink is not the most individual of conductors, he has such a great orchestra and recorded sound that it is easier for him to make things work. I do not want to be mean with him - he is no less successful than, let’s say, Konwitschny and has a fondness for monumental perspectives. The acts’ finali are really impressive. He has a most pleasing cast as well. To start with, Lucia Popp is a warm, light and moving Elisabeth. Her prayer in act III is heartbreaking. Waltraud Meier is similarly a light Venus. Without the help if image, it is not sensuous in the Christa Ludwig standard, but it is highly accomplished. Klaus König’s voice is again light for the role of Tannhäuser, but it is produced with such spontaneity and ease that one may end on accepting his performance which is primarily an ad hoc one. Bernd Weikl is AGAIN Wolfram and I keep to my previous observations. Kurt Moll is a good Landgraf, although his top notes do not have the same authority of his low register.

Sinopoli’s performance live in Bayreuth is a complete sucess. The orchestra is in perfect shape, the recorded sound is excellent and, although the staging is too German in its Bauhaus-like simplicity, it is very efficient. Sinopoli is more concentrated here than on studio and goes straight to the heart of the matter. It is an inspired performance and it is helped by two wonderful pieces of casting. Cheryl Studer became famous because of this performance and her voice is simply a dream come true. She is a bit overweight here, but her Innigkeit and purity of tone make the whole thing work. Wolfgang Brendel is also an amazing Wolfram, owing nothing to Fischer-Dieskau and offering even warmer tone. Ruthild Engert-Ely is not more than decent and Sotin offers reliable if uninspired singing. As for Richard Versalle - true, his tone is nasal and has its thin moments, but it is quite acceptable and reliable. It is no-one’s ideal of Tannhäuser - but he does not spoil the fun.

Barenboim’s recording has a most exotic edition. It is Dresden version, with the Paris Venusberg scene instead. In the end of act II, he also brings extra bars unavailable in any other recording listed here. Although Karajan only has a live recording of this opera on DG, the act 1 in this performance definitely sounds like studio Karajan: it has beautiful orchestral sound, impressionistic articulation, slow tempi and some eccentric pieces of casting made with some old-time-fellow singers. But this is only a first impression. The Staatskapelle Berlin is in splendid shape and the level of clarity of the sound is unparalleled - the harmonic transparence is simply something to be heard and the ease with which you listen to each soloist in big ensembles is miraculous. However, I suspect that much of this was achieved not by Barenboim, but by the Tonmeister - the sound has a certain artifficiality and singers are largely recorded close to the mike. When it comes to Barenboim himself, his contribution is really variable. In the overture, his tempi are fast and pleasant, but the Venusberg is lethargic. His articulation, especially concerning strings, is very poor and it lacks theatricality overall. His approach to phrasing is mostly square and even the German singers sound metronomic and uninflected. In my opinion, the drawback of the performance is its amazing lack of atmosphere. Waltraud Meier’s sings a bossa nova Venus. She is practically crooning to the microphone and, when she does sing out, the tone sounds a bit worn and shrewish. When she sings things like "Zieh hin! Wahnsinniger, zieh hin!", she sounds as if she was saying "Yes, dear, I would like an extra cube of suger to my tea". With those Debussy-ian tempi and legato-ish uninterest, one could think the scene portrayed a well-behaved boy and his mommy. This takes me to Peter Seiffert’s Tannhäuser. My experience with him live (the opera was Lohengrin) made me think that Tannhäuser was not the best role for him. Closely miked as he is here, he actually can be heard all the time and - to say the truth - he does sing well and his voice is pleasant. Nevertheless, it sounds too "sweet" for the role and, when he tries to sound "macho", it only gets pinched. His singing sounds undersupported many times and his approach to top notes seems attempts to make his voice sound bigger and darker. His interpretation is not very specific and it generally has to do with producing legato and caressing the lines. It sounds very beautiful, but all this bothering about his voice does not replace the earnest healthy big vocalism the role asks for. I couldn’t see the "character" in his performance and it felt as if he would be singing Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön in the next moment. Thomas Hamspon has a similarly preciousist approach, but his voice cannot compete with Seiffert’s in loveliness - it now sounds rather raspish and forced. Jane Eaglen’s ice-cold Elisabeth has the advantage of forceful top notes and a missile-like projection. She works hard on refinement, but the tone gets unsteady in softer dynamics, her German is poor and there is a lack of roundness overalll (in her voice, I mean). René Pape is a solid and discrete Landgraf and Dorothea Röschmann is most pleasing as the shepheard. The choir is excellent, but sometimes they could be recorded a bit closer.

 

top

~Lohengrin

 

1 - Cheryl Studer (Elsa), Dunja Vejzovic (Ortrud), Plácido Domingo (Lohengrin), Hartmut Welker (Telramund), Robert Lloyd (King Henry), Wiener Staatsopernchor und orchester, Claudio Abbado

2 - Cheryl Studer (Elsa), Waltraud Meier (Ortrud), Siegfried Jerusalem (Lohengrin), Hartmut Welker (Telramund), Kurt Moll (King Henry), Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor, Wiener Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado

3 - Emily Magee (Elsa), Deborah Polaski (Ortrud), Peter Seiffert (Lohengrin), Falk Struckmann (Telramund), René Pape (King Henry), Chor der Deutschen Staatsoper Berlin, Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel Barenboim

4 - Sharon Sweet (Elsa), Eva Marton (Ortrud), Ben Heppner (Lohengrin), Sergei Leiferkus (Telramund), Jan-Hendrik Rootering (King Henry), Chor und Sinfonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Colin Davis

5 - Anna Tomowa-Sintow (Elsa), Dunja Vejzovic (Ortrud), René Kollo (Lohengrin), Siegmund Nimsgern (Telramund), Karl Ridderbusch (King Henry), Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan

6 - Elisabeth Grümmer (Elsa), Christa Ludwig (Ortrud), Jess Thomas (Lohengrin), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Telramund), Gottlob Frick (King Henry), Wiener Staatsopernchor, Wiener Philharmoniker, Rudolf Kempe

7 - Gundula Janowitz (Elsa), Gwyneth Jones (Ortrud), James King (Lohengrin), Thomas Stewart (Telramund), Karl Ridderbusch (King Henry), Chor und Sinfonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Rafael Kubelik

8 - Eva Marton (Elsa), Leonie Rysanek (Ortrud), Peter Hofmann (Lohengrin), Leif Roar (Telramund), John Macurdy (King Henry), The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, James Levine

9 - Anja Silja (Elsa), Astrid Varnay (Ortrud), Jess Thomas (Lohengrin), Ramon Vinay (Telramund), Franz Crass (King Henry), Chor und Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele, Wolfgang Sawallisch

10 - Cheryl Studer (Elsa), Gabriele Schnaut (Ortrud), Paul Frey (Lohengrin), Ekkehard Wlaschiha (Telramund), Manfred Schenck (King Henry), Chor und Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiel, Peter Schneider

11 - Maud Cunitz (Elsa), Margarete Klose (Ortrud), Rudolf Schock (Lohengrin), Josef Metternich (Telramund), Gottlob Frick (King Henry), Chor und Sinfonieorchester des Norddeutschen Rundfunks, Hamburg, Wilhelm Schüchter

12 - Jessye Norman (Elsa), Eva Randová (Ortrud), Plácido Domingo (Lohengrin), Siegmund Nimsgern (Telramund), Hans Sotin (King Henry), Chor der Wiener Staatsoper, Wiener Philharmoniker, Georg Solti

13 - Emily Magee (Elsa), Luana DeVol (Ortrud), John Treleaven (Lohengrin), Hans-Joachim Ketelsen (Telramund), Reinhard Hagen (King Henry), Cor i Orquestra Simfònica del Gran Teatre del Liceu, Sebastian Weigle

Lohengrin is probably Wagner’s more enticing opera - with its intelligent and efficient libretto and characterful music, it is a perfect work of art. It is challenging in many senses. It requires a great conductor, to start with. The score tends to a certain flatness regarding tempo and the maestro has to smooth it with a complete command of phrasing, pace and theatricality. The title role, although it is relatively short, requires a beautiful voice and immaculate phrasing. The truth is that both Lohengrin and Elsa should sound like fairy tale heroes and nobility of tone is everything in these roles. On the other hand, the roles of Ortrud and Telramund require not only powerful big voices, but also rhythmic accuracy and powerful declamation. The role of the King Henry is not easy either - it requires a bass with ease in high tessitura and command of line.

Although Wilhelm Schüchter is not a famous Wagnerian, his conducting in the 1953 EMI recording is top level. It is precise, animated and abounding in vertical and horizontal clarity. It is true that the recording prevents real impact, but the zipping string phrasing allows excitement enough. Maud Cunitz’s soprano does not sound young enough, but she is a sensitive performer. Her style is a bit outdated too. The same could be said of Margarethe Klose’s Ortrud - here in her third and last recording in this role. She slides a lot and uses a certain kind of yodelling attack for high notes, but her fans will have fun with her thought-through characterization. Rudolf Schock uses his handsome voice with dexterity, colouring the text with generosity. In the Graal Narrative, Schüchter adopts a certain nervous articulation, matched by a heightened rendering of this crucial scene by Schock - not to everyone’s taste, but certainly bold. Josef Metternich is probably the singer who sings the part of Telramund more comfortably than anyone else - he is unchallenged by the high tessitura and offers a perfect balance between legato and clear enunciation of the text. Gottlob Frick is in excellent voice too.

Every Wagnerian guide would recommend the Kempe recording on EMI as the classic recording of this work. It involves some legendary powers - but the truth is that it ought to be better. I do not mean it is not a good performance - it is. But it is also relatively tame. Kempe’s conducting is efficient, but well behaved somehow. Compared to some later recordings, one can realize that there is something missing here. The recording lacks a bit space as well. Elisabeth Grümmer was a famous Elsa, but when she recorded it here, her voice was not at its freshest. There is nothing like ugly singing happening here - the voice works very well, it just does not sound attractive enough - there is a quavery breathy quality about it that disturbs me. On the other hand, Christa Ludwig’s Ortrud is the work of a supreme artist. Her nobility of tone, dramatic commitment, theatrical imagination, musicianship and accuracy place her above all her rivals. It is a sensational performance. Jess Thomas’s tenor sounds hard to my ears in this recording. I found it efficient, nothing more. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau’s Telramund depends on your opinion on his artistry. He is in easy, bright and powerful voice. He overarticulates, for sure - but no-one could call it bland. I just think that his attempts to sound "evil" seem as if Klingsor was in the wrong opera. Frick is a good King, not as noble as some of his rivals, but he is in strong voice.

Jess Thomas appears to be a completely different singer live in Bayreuth. Here his voice is at its expressive best, offering a wider range of tonal colouring. Sawallisch’s conducting has sense of theatre and, in its unaffected way, is successful in presenting all the niceties of Wagner’s score. Anja Silja’s voice tends to be metallic in an unpleasant manner, but, in its eccentric way, suggests a gentle young and pure heroine. Astrid Varnay is here in her last recording as Ortrud. The voice is not rich as it used to be in the higher notes, but she is still a most accurate and expressive singer who does not miss one note or one word to make a point. On the other hand, Ramon Vinay, back to the baritone range, is in grey voice and is most inaccurate about notes. Franz Crass has a beautiful voice for the role of King Henry, but his legato could be better. The Bayreuth orchestra is beautifully recorded in natural perspective. As it is a live performance, there are the traditional cuts and choral moments do not have the last degree of polish.

Kubelik brought to Lohengrin a sense of magic and wonder - his orchestra plays with an exquisite transparent ethereal sound and his chorus has an unrivalled level of clarity and accuracy. His sense of pace is perfect and, to quote Hofmannsthal, one feels as if "Übermächte wären im Spiel". His cast could not be more successful. From her very first note, Gundula Janowitz’s angelic soprano has in it everything the role asks for. She is wonderfully contrasted to Gwyneth Jones’s fierce dramatic singing. Some say Jones sounds as a witch here - I think she has a point. Her control of dynamics and use of the text are exemplary. James King’s big tenor is not ideal to the role, but he brings to it such intensity and passion that I found it really hard to resist. When he sings "Doch bei dem Ring..." in act III, he just breaks my heart! Thomas Stewart is also a noble Telramund and does not resort to any cliché to build his character. Karl Ridderbusch is the perfect singer for the role of King Henry and Gerd Nienstedt is a forceful Herald. I only regret that DG recorded the orchestra too backwards when singers are there. This very problematic fault is the only reason why this recording is not the best ever in the discography.

Karajan’s performance is an unforgettable experience. First of all, the Berlin Philharmonic is in its powerful best. And here Karajan is not looking for pretty sounds - he makes this music sound the wildest it can, while keeping clarity throughout. Also, he centers his attention in the orchestra and some would miss the sound power offered here when shifting to other recordings. I only wished his chorus was as accurate as the orchestra. The recorded sound is very wide ranging and offers all the space the music needs. The casting here involves some legendary gossiping. Karajan and Kollo had a big fight and the show in Salzburg was done with Karl-Walther Böhm in the title role. EMI convinced Karajan to keep recording without Kollo. So, some years afterwards, Kollo came back to the studio to sing over previously recorded material. One can notice that he is in fresher voice in some moments - but that is all one would notice, since the trick was really well done. His Lohengrin is a bit affected. Although his mezza voce is beautiful, he overuses it and there are all the Kollo mannerisms throughout. Anna Tomowa-Sintow is a disappointing Elsa. Sure, she is in powerful voice, but it is over-vibrant and lacks purity throughout the range. Dunja Vejzovic is an efficient Ortrud and one who sounds evil without resorting to tricks - her voice has it already. However, her technique is not perfect and she cannot compare to many of her distinguished rivals. Siegmund Nimsgern is an exciting Telramund - with a dark powerful big baritone voice. He is dramatically very alert and offers some real theatre in act II. Ridderbusch is again in top form for King Henry and Robert Kerns is an imposing Herald.

Solti never liked Lohengrin - that is why this was the last Wagner opera he took to the studio. This has been used against his recording - also the extravagant casting, but the truth is that it is a very good performance. Solti was already in his most relaxed days and the Vienna Philharmonic is in great shape. The sound folows the typical big decca standard. The chorus lacks some polish, but Solti has a good control over big ensembles. Jessye Norman’s voice is not the one one would imediately associate with Elsa and her characterization is unconventional too - she makes Elsa to be a very proud and even self-important girl. She cannot hide her contempt towards Ortrud in act II, and in act III one cannot help thinking that what she fears most about Lohengrin is the possibility of engaging into mésalliance. She is also in top form and her mezza voce in Euch Lüften is exquisite. With such a commanding Elsa, Solti should have thought of a more dominating Ortrud. Eva Randová, in theory, could be magnetic in the role, but she revealed to be rather small-scaled in the event. The distinctive thing about her performance is her use of chest voice - I cannot think of other Ortrud in the discography who does the same. It is interesting and it would have been great if the rest of the voice could have the same venom and bite. Plácido Domingo’s Lohengrin is unending source for controversy. Sure his German is not top class, but this is not the main problem here. It would not have been really serious, since he is stylish and is in beautiful voice. Only I think that he seems to be unaware of what he is singing and his interpretation ends on being generalized. Nimsgern and Fischer-Dieskau are way past their best form and Sotin lacks gravitas as the King.

Levine is in great shape in the video from the Met. He is in complete control of the score and does not miss one dramatic moment and, considering his orchestra is below standard, he did a great job with them. Only the Metropolitan Opera Chorus is beyond salvation - they are amazingly imprecise and even wobbly. Also, the recorded sound is excellent, allowing total clarity and highlighting Levine’s sophisticated concept of phrasing. Eva Marton’s voice was still fresh here and the only things between her and success is the inability to scale down her dramatic voice and that it is not a completely pure instrument. Nevertheless, she is very "inside" her role and, if one takes in consideration her convincing acting skills, it is a quite moving performance. In Leonie Rysanek’s case, I dare to say not even her acting skills make for her unacceptable singing as Ortrud. She does not have the low notes for the role and is imprecise about pitch and note values. Peter Hofmann is also disappointing as Lohengrin. His baritonal tenor is unsuited to the role and he is not in his easiest voice. One sees he is doing his best to make it acceptable, but it is a lost battle. Leif Roar’s problems with the role of Telramund are so many that it is difficult to know where to start. John Macurdy takes some time to oil his voice and deliver the goods. When he does that, it is rather acceptable. The production is conventional and, in my opinion, only Marton’s acting is worth while the detour.

Werner Herzog’s production in Bayreuth is a complete contrast to the Met’s - it is daring and impressive. The hazy atmosphere in act I is amazing, but act II, with the real water on stage and the rocks and the palace - it is one of the most beautiful sceneries I have ever seen. It is a pity that act III, scene I, with that silver bed on the mountain, is too weird to make any sense. Also, Peter Schneider did not know what to do with Lohengrin by that time. It is unbelievably square as conducting and, for once, it makes this opera boring. Cheryl Studer is an ideal Elsa, with her pure soprano with reserves of power. Gabriele Schnaut was also in top form for this video - her voice has a metallic edge that causes a great effect in this role. Her Entweihte Götter sang with the back to the audience is a heroic deed. Paul Frey is incredibly bland as Lohengrin, though, and his voice is not beautiful, but Ekkehard Wlaschiha was in great voice and dramatically commited. Manfred Schenck has a powerful voice, but a bit worn and does not sound noble enough.

When Abbado conducted this opera live in Vienna, a video was produced - and I ask which was the big interest, since the staging is conventional and particularly ugly and the recorded sound is a bit messy, making it difficult to say much about Abbado's forward-moving conducting. Cheryl Studer is again a perfect Elsa, but her costumes and wigs are very ugly. Vejzovic looks like a witch and convinces us with her acting and commitment, since the voice is a bit past its best. Live, Domingo’s voice seems even more unsuited to the role. He sounds effortful sometimes and is generic on the interpretative side. Also, he has some effort to produce mezza voce and the tone is rather thick. Hartmut Welker’s takes too much effort to produce singing, but he is a very good actor. Robert Lloyd is also very convincing as the King, even if his voice sounds a bit small-scaled in this performance.

Some years later, Abbado decided to take Lohengrin to the studios and his very dramatic and urgent performance can be finally heard in proper conditions. The Vienna Philharmonic is in excellent shape and the recorded sound is excellent. Again we have Studer’s immaculate Elsa, who sounds more interesting next to Waltraud Meier’s imposing Ortrud, a creative and sophisticated impersonation. Next to these excellent singers, Siegfried Jerusalem, in grey voice, sounds disappointing. He once had the perfect voice for the role, but here it is rather juiceless. Nevertheless, he gives his soul to the role and does all he can to impregnate the text with sense. He is also generous with mezza voce, which he uses with intelligence, although it is not necessarily ingratiating. Welker is again an effortful Telramund and his voice lacks depth for the role. Moll is not my idea of Heinrich - the role is high for his voice - and Andreas Schmidt is too poised for the Herald.

Colin Davis’s performance from Munich is a weird affair. I wonder why BMG found it important to record it at all. Although the Bavarian Radio is an excellent orchestra, when one has a conductor with poor notion of pace and structure, it is very hard to produce anything worth while listening to. It is flaccid, shallow and lacking in intelligence as a whole. The recorded sound is good, however. Sharon Sweet’s voice lacks purity and firmness - she is also generic about her interpretation. Eva Marton is really wobbly as Ortrud - sometimes it is difficult to say which notes she is singing. Ben Heppner is at his freshest and most beautiful voice as Lohengrin, but, from the interpretative point of view, he seems to be singing the farewell to the swan all the time. It is woefully uninteresting. Sergei Leiferkus’s Telramund is also a weird piece of casting. His voice lacks resonance for the role and his German is very weird. Rootering is an unimpressive King and, in this context, casting Bryn Terfel as the Herald, was an unnecessary extravagance.

Barenboim recorded Lohengrin after some live performances with the Staatskapelle Berlin. In the recording, he decided to offer the bars in the Graal Narration sceneWagner himself had cut before the première. His conducting is spacious, relying on beautiful big orchestral sounds and it is rather successful considering its aims. If one takes in consideration that the orchestra is in great shape and Teldec recorded it with amazing naturality, it is really a performance to be taken seriously. Emily Magee is a rich warm voiced Elsa, less vulnerable than most. It is a pity that Deborah Polaski’s soprano does not take well to microphones. She had been impressive in the broadcast from the Met, but here it lacks focus both vocally and dramatically. On the other hand, Peter Seiffert is a successful Lohengrin. The lyricism and beauty of tone he brings to the role is something one has not heard since Franz Völker. Falke Struckmann offers his best recorded performance as Telramund, and René Pape’s Marke is the best since Ridderbusch’s.

Released by EuroArts, the DVDs from Barcelona feature the infamous Peter Konwitschny production for the Hamburgische Staatsoper. I know Regiestheater is some kind of magic word the meaning of which could be "it is so because the director would like it to be so", but Konwitschny's staging of Lohengrin in a school for children somewhere in the 1940's is completely unrelated to Wagner's libretto. He could have staged Aida or Madama Butterfly, but he was paid to stage a Lohengrin. One could say that the fairytale atmosphere and the series of verbose confrontations between characters have something childish about then - but having a buch of children unattended by any adult in a classroom (what kind of school is that?!) performing wedding ceremonies and preparing for honeymoon among desks is almost sick. Moreover, 50-year-old people (or even older) dressed as kids looks downright ridiculous (not to mention overweight - a problem Inga Nielsen and Thomas Moser in the original cast did not have to face back in the 90's). A very good actress, Emily Magee sounds even better than in her studio recording with Barenboim (or even than my memories of her live performance in Berlin in 1999). Her big velvety soprano is in mint condition and her tone colouring, diction and understanding of the text are far improved. Luana de Vol's dramatic soprano has always been overmetallic and squally - and she lives to that reputation in this recording - but if you go beyond that you'll find a most intelligent and theatrical performance here. When it comes to John Treleaven's Lohengrin, it is a shame his tenor is marred by a constant flutter (sometimes verging on wobble), for his voice is naturally fit to the role and his singing is musicianly and finaly shaded. Hans-Joachim Ketelsen, on the other hand, is helplessly overparted as Telramund. The result is unvariably tense and pitch is tested by his lack of operational space. Reinhard Hagen is a reliable King Henry, even if the high tessitura taxes him a bit. Robert Bork is an unusually spirited Herald. Sebastian Weigle offers a safe performance, taking in consideration the needs of his singers and the limitations of his orchestra. Considering that the singers from the chorus are required to move and act a lot, their performance is most accomplished.

 

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~Tristan und Isolde

1 - Johanna Meier (Isolde), Hanna Schwarz (Brrangäne), René Kollo (Tristan), Hermann Becht (Kurwenal), Matti Salminen (Marke), Bayreuther Festspiele, Daniel Barenboim

2 - Waltraud Meier (Isolde), Marjana Lipovsekk (Brangäne), Siegfried Jerusalem (Tristan), Falk Struckmann (Kurwenal), Matti Salminen (Marke), Berliner Philharmoniker, Daniel Barenboim

3 - Hildegard Behrens (Isolde), Yvonne Mintonn (Brangäne), Peter Hofmann (Tristan), Bernd Weikl (Kurwenal), Hans Sotin (Marke), Bayerische Rundfunk, Leonard Bernstein

4 - Birgit Nilsson (Isolde), Christa Ludwig ((Brangäne), Wolfgang Windgassen (Tristan), Eberhard Wächter (Kurwenal), Martti Talvela (Marke), Bayreuther Festspiel, Karl Böhm

5 - Nanny Larsen-Todsen (Isolde), Anny Helm ((Brangäne), Gunnar Graarud (Tristan), Rudolf Bockelmann (Kurwenal), Ivan Andresen (Marke), Bayreuther Festspiel, Karl Elmendorff

6 - Kirsten Flagstad (Isolde), Blanche Thebom (Brangäne), Ludwig Suthaus (Tristan), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Kurwenal), Josef Greind (Marke), Philharmonia, Wilhelm Furtwängler

7 - Linda Esther Gray (Isolde), Anne Wilkens (Brangäne), John Mitchinson (Tristan), Phillip Joll (Kurwenal), Gwynne Howell (Marke), Welsh National Opera, Reginald Goodall

8 - Helga Dernesch (Isolde), Christa Ludwig ((Brangäne), Jon Vickers (Tristan), Walter Berry (Kurwenal), Karl Ridderbusch (Marke), Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan

9 - Catarina Ligendza (Isolde), Yvonne Mintonn (Brangäne), Helge Brilioth (Tristan), Donald McIntyre (Kurwenal), Kurt Moll (Marke), Bayreuther Festspiel, Carlos Kleiber

10 - Margaret Price (Isolde), Brigitte Fassbaeender (Brangäne), René Kollo (Tristan), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Kurwenal), Kurt Moll (Marke), Staatskapelle Dresden, Carlos Kleiber

11 - Waltraud Meier (Isolde), Marjana Lipovsekk (Brangäne), Jon Frideric West (Tristan), Bernd Weikl (Kurwenal), Kurt Moll (Marke), Bayerische Staatsoper, Zubin Mehta

12 - Birgit Nilsson (Isolde), Regina Resnik (BBrangäne), Fritz Uhl (Tristan), Tom Krause (Kurwenal), Arnold van Mill (Marke), Wiener Philharmoniker, Georg Solti

13 - Deborah Voigt (Isolde), Petra Lang (Branggäne), Thomas Moser (Tristan), Peter Weber (Kurwenal), Robert Holl (Marke), Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper, Christian Thielemann

 

Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde is probably the most sophisticated score ever commited to opera. Its complex and thorough musical structure, its wide-ranging symbolic libretto and the sensuous orchestral sounds have contributed to make it a unique masterpiece. The demand on performers is also extreme - not only on the soloists, but also on the conductor, whose sense of tempo and clarity is tested throughout. The role of Isolde is problematic because, although it requires a big voice, it insists on lyric singing, with many moments in which mezza voce is necessary. The role of Brangäne, although written for soprano, has been regularly cast with a mezzo - and that makes for some unglamourous singing up in the top notes. The roles of Kurwenal and Marke, although vocally not as demanding as the others, require expressive singers who are able to give life to the difficult dramatic situations involving these characters. But there is no doubt about one thing - it is the tenor role the most demanding one. It requires a dramatic voice and ability to clear declamation. The third act turns around him and its three monologues are incredibly demanding, not only vocally but dramatically too. Because of that, sometimes act II is trimmed - to spare the tenor’s voice for the last act.

On analyzing Tristan’s discography, one could easily come to one conclusion: there is no perfect Tristan. Many tend to think that the must-have recording is the Furtwängler EMI performance. Of course, Furtwängler is the most celebrated Wagnerian conductor and his liquid yet clear phrasing, luxuriant orchestral sound and considerate tempi work really well for Tristan. Also, EMI mono recording is quite natural and pleasing. Only the Philharmonia Orchestra did not have a distinctive sound by then and it was not in the level of the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic, even if the brass was already in its legendary top form. Kirsten Flagstad was already a veteran when she recorded it, but her voice is in healthy shape. There are also the famous top c’s sung by Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, but one does not even notice that. What is bothersome about later Flagstad is the matronly quality. Blanche Thebom is quite appealing as Brangäne, although her interpretation is rather generalized. Ludwig Suthaus’s Tristan is competent. He has enough commitment and has a plausible voice for the role, but it is far from ingratiating. On the other hand, the young Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau is a superlative Kurwenal. The problem about Josef Greindl’s Marke is the same problem about all the Hagen-like Markes - they lack nobility.

The recording generally opposed to the Furtwängler is the Böhm live from Bayreuth. Although he was far from young when he conducted this performance, it sounds as a young conductor’s Tristan. Its energy, drive and passion could be taken for impatience sometimes, but it may sound irresistible if you like it hot. I think that the main fault with this recording is the recorded sound. As everybody knows, the brass instruments in Bayreuth are made to sit practically under the stage. So, in order to produce any sound at all in the auditorium they have to blow like madmen. When DG engineers placed their microphones without taming this effect, you get the most metallic noisy brass playing in recorded history. This disfigures the Liebestod, for example, beyond salvation. Birgit Nilsson is a Medea-like Isolde. She sings it with a fury that does not always go with the dramatic situations. It is a formidable but definitely not appealing vision of the Irish princess. Christa Ludwig, however, is in top form as Brangäne, but Eberhard Wächter is a bit rough as Kurwenal. Although Talvela is not a Hagen by nature, his Marke goes to the Hagen-like type of King Marke. However, the more voice-centred listeners would have a tough day with Wolfgang Windgassen. The part of Tristan takes him to his very limits and the comparison with Nilsson is really unfavourable to him.

As a matter of fact, I think Nilsson’s fans should definitely take a look at Solti’s recording, which, although it has been much abused by reviewers, is a recording one should cherish. The young Solti may rightly be accused of overenergetic approach to music making, but the very nature of Tristan’s music tamed it. Moreover, the Vienna Philharmonic transparent sounds helped to put Solti’s excitement into perspective. The final result is a performance with admirable sense of forward movement, utmost clarity and virtuosistic orchestral playing. Decca’s recording is also very good - bright and immediate and voices are not recorded too close, what helps structural clarity. Birgit Nilsson is in fresh voice and in more refined mood. Although her voice is too metallic and never suggests sensuality, it does sound young. Regina Resnik was not in her best voice for Brangäne, though, and what saves her calls from the top of the tower was Culshaw’s engineering that placed her very far from the microphone creating a believable theatrical perspective. Fritz Uhl was controversial casting. Sure, he is light-voiced for the role, but, in the studio, he is quite successful. The voice is fresh, young and lyric. In act III, he never suggests the necessary despair, but it is musicianly and sensitive throughout. I have to confess that listening to the role sung with such spontaneity and freshness may be persuasive after repeated listenings. Tom Krause and Arnold van Mill are quite indifferent as Kurwenal and Marke, though.

Karajan’s recording is a most seductive one and maybe the best one to get acquainted with the work. His conducting concentrates on liquid orchestral sound and clarity is not a priority here. However, his tempi and sense of atmosphere are admirable. EMI’s recorded sound used to be impossible to deal with - singers’ voices seemed to come from the most different places, sometimes it sounded as if they were outside the studio, but remastering saved the situation and it is quite acceptable now. The cast is probably the strongest in the discography. Helga Dernesch is a warm-toned, sensuous Isolde - only her top notes lack comfort. Christa Ludwig is again a sensational Brangäne. Jon Vickers’ Tristan has become a famous impersonation. Not only is his voice 100% suited to the role, but he also offers some niceties such as his amazing control of mezza voce. However, German-speaking listeners may find hard to live with his weird accent. Walter Berry is a congenial Kurwenal and, although Karl Ridderbusch’s beautiful voice is really suited for the role of Marke, he was not very imaginative here.

The existence of Goodall’s Tristan only shows how much British reviewers are convincing. The performance is problematic all the way - the conductor has a fancy on very slow tempi, in which nothing really exceptional happens. Especially when the orchestra is below standard as the Welsh National Opera proved to be. Decca offers nice spacious recording, in which voices are naturally recorded. Linda Esther Gray has a basically interesting voice - warm, vibrant and large - but it is made to sound worn and unvaried most of the time. Anne Wilkens is a light acceptable Brangäne, but John Mitchinson is clearly not up to the task of singing Tristan. The voice gets stressed really fast and he has intonation problems. Phillip Joll is raw and unsteady as Kurwenal, but Howell is a decent Marke.

Bernstein’s performance, made from live performances and rehearsals in Munich, is a cult recording. Bernstein’s view of the score has a meditative nature and it is quite slow - the orchestral sounds are heavenly. It also has vertical clarity, although it is surprisingly short of horizontal clarity - the sense of "phrase" is very slack and, when there is not a firm sense of bass in the music, things tend to get a bit lost. The recorded sound is warm and clear too. Hildegard Behrens’s Isolde is one of the most beautiful in the discography. She is in exquisite voice and sings with sensitivity and commitment. Yvonne Minton is also a nicest Brangäne. Although Peter Hofmann’s voice lacks firmness, its colour suits the role of Tristan and he is passionate enough for the role. It is an irregular performance, but still has its appeal. Bernd Weikl is a light pleasing Kurwenal and Hans Sotin has a good voice for Marke, but the role needs more than only that.

For many Wagnerians, Carlos Kleiber’s Tristan is the absolute reference for the opera. Its passionate fast conducting gives the work all the urgency it needs. DG recorded it in early digital sound, however, and the result is metallic and edgy. Sure, the Staatskapelle Dresden is in great shape, but the lack of naturality in the recorded sound may be too much for most listeners. Margaret Price learnt the role for this recording and never tried it again, but she is quite successful as Isolde. It has a level of femininity and care with details unmatched in almost any other performance and it is uniquely satisfying, although the most outspoken moments take her to some strained sounds. Brigitte Fassbänder is also a light pleasing Brangäne and Kurt Moll is a firm and noble Marke. René Kollo, however, is in gritty voice. It is very difficult to listen to his effortful singing here and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau’s grey-voiced Kurwenal is a second ordeal for the listeners. I do think that things are more favourable live in Bayreuth. Although the conducting is quite similar to the one offered in the DG studio and the Staatskapelle Dresden has extra polish compared to the Bayreuth band, the atmosphere and naturality of the broadcast sound is more agreable. Catarina Ligendza’s voice is far from beautiful - it is a bit sour - but she does suggest the girlish in Isolde and I found that quite convincing. Moreover, she reaches the end of the evening in freshest voice and is a most accurate sensitive singer. Minton is in top form as Brangäne and Moll is more at ease live than in studio. Helge Brilioth’s once exquisite tenor was already worn in 1975. He is effortful most of the time and there are moments where he is clearly defeated by the demands Wagner made on him. He is also rather free with notes. However, I really prefer him to Kollo’s ugly vocalized Tristan. McIntyre is very gruff as Kurwenal.

It is particularly surprising that exactly René Kollo is in such strong voice as Tristan in the Ponelle staging from Bayreuth available in video. He is in fresh rich voice and is convincing throughout, provided you can live with his mannerisms, such as off-pitch effect and snarling. From the interpretative point of view, he suggests a young passionate man, offering colourful phrasing, including some beautiful mezza voce effects. Also Johanna Meier is a strong Isolde. She looks a bit old for her role, but the voice is uniquely rounded and creamy, even in the most exposted top notes and is youthful enough and readily takes to floating piano when necessary. Her stage performance is commited enough, even if conventional. Hanna Schwarz is a bright light Brangäne, Hermann Becht is sensitive if hard-toned as Kurwenal and Salminen is again too much of a Hagen. Barenboim’s conducting turns around beautiful orchestral sounds and he gives them all the time they need. As a result, moments such as the frenzy in the beginning of act II duet sound unusually polished. Also, pauses are used in a theatrical way and, even if sometimes things could be more animated. Those who prefer a more pensive Tristan will certainly be pleased. It is a pity that the recorded sound is so variable, though. Sometimes, singers are given prominence and the orchestra lacks weight (especially the strings) and warmth; in other moments, it is rich and almost drowning singers’ voices... . Ponelle’s production takes some liberties, but the tree in act II is a must-see.

Although I think that things were more spontaneous in Bayreuth, the CDs from Berlin offer the opportunity of listening to Barenboim, not only concentrated on the score, but also able to communicate a vivid sense of Angst, especially in act III. As the Berlin Philharmonic is in really great shape and Teldec offers excellent recorded sound, clarity is a strong asset. My only complaint involves some lack of light, in the absence of a better word: clearer articulation in passagework, brighter string sound, lighter phrasing and a more inspiring cast.Waltraud Meier’s Isolde is incredibly lacking in variety and her voice is not particularly beautiful either. Marjana Lipovsek also seems to find the role of Brangäne a bit high. Siegfried Jerusalem is struggling with his voice here. Falk Struckmann is a strong Kurwenal, but his voice could be firmer. Matti Salminen’s performance is similar to the one live. Teldec’s recorded sound is excellent. This performance is connected with the Heiner Müller production in Bayreuth, available on VHS in Europe for a while.

Although Peter Konwitschny’s irreverent staging, with the love potion in cocktail glasses and a yellow sofa in act II, doesn’t help one to get a "Tristan" atmosphere, his actors’ direction is very nice and, with the help of image, Meier and Lipovsek are convincing as Isolde and Brangäne. I also suspect they are, in fact, in better voice than for Barenboim. Jon Frideric West’s voice makes one think of a lighter Vickers and, although he spares himself to act III, where he gives it all, he is quite acceptable in the earlier acts and quite musicianly too. Bernd Weikl is a congenial Kurwenal, but it is too late for Kurt Moll’s Marke. The Bavarian Opera orchestra is excellent and becomingly recorded. Mehta’s conducting is very appealing, with big late romantic orchestral sounds and a sensitive ear for dramatic situations.

Recorded live in Vienna, Thielemann's Tristan is a complete experience - this is a performance that succeeds in beings theatrical, musically illuminating and euphonious at the same time. The live recording is exemplary and offers a richness of orchestral sound you won't find live at the Vienna State Opera. Thielemann proves to have thorough understanding of the score's structure - motivic recurrence seems the vital part of the dramatic experience and the flexibility of tempo, phrasing and dynamics is entirely to the service of Musikdrama. As a result, atmosphere-passages are enhanced by harmonic and polyphonic clarity and a warm and rich tonal palette, while more complex passages benefit from rhythmic alertness and thoroughly articulated phrasing, with some wonderful zipping effects. Entirely at ease in the difficult part of Isolde, Deborah Voigt is in control of her resources and is always master of the situation. This is certainly her best recorded performance. The big grainy and creamy voice allows a certain youthfulness and femininity, but the tone tends to be unvaried and her interpretation is rather generalized, especially in act I. Although Thomas Moser has an appealing voice and is always musicianly and expressive, the role is on the heavy side for him and he usually sounds underpowered in the most outspoken moments. All in all, he succeeds in conveying a vulnerable and tormented portrait of the ill-fated hero, especially in act III, where his interpretative skill and tonal variety make for some strained moments. The live recording is not particularly helpful, since one can clearly hear that his Isolde is far more powerful than he is and often overwhelms him when they sing together. Petra Lang is an urgent forceful Brangäne, but Peter Weber is a rather gruff Kurwenal. Robert Holl has his woolly-toned moments, but offers a heartfelt performance as King Marke. This recording has certainly won its place among the best recorded performances of this work.

Last but not least, the Elmendorff incomplete recording from the 30’s is a must-have for Wagnerians. The pre-war leaner orchestral sound, Elmendorff’s fluent and flexible phrasing, Larsen-Todsen’s and Graarud’s youthful freshest voices and Ivar Andressen’s utterly expressive Marke were never matched. The studio recording is surprisingly good for its age.

 

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~Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

1 - Emily Magee (Eva), Brigitta Svendé;n (Magdalene), Peter Seiffert (Walther), Endrik Wottrich (David), Robert Holl (Sachs), Andreas Schmidt (Beckmesser), Erik Halfvarson (Pogner), Bayreuther Festspiel, Daniel Barenboim

2 - Gwyneth Jones (Eva), Janis Martin (Magdallene), Waldemar Kmentt (Walther), Hermin Esser (David), Theo Adam (Sachs), Thomas Hemsley (Beckmesser), Karl Ridderbusch, Bayreuther Festspiel, Karl Böhm

3 - Maria Müller (Eva), Camilla Kallab ((Magdalene), Max Lorenz (Walther), Erich Zimmermann (David), Jaro Prohaska (Sachs), Eugen Fuchs (Beckmesser), Bayreuther Festspiel, Wilhelm Furtwängler

4 - Catarina Ligendza (Eva), Christa Ludwig ((Magdalene), Plácido Domingo (Walther), Horst Laubenthal (David), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Sachs), Roland Hermann (Beckmesser), Peter Lagger (Pogner), Deutsche Oper, Eugen Jochum

5 - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (Eva), Ira Malaniukk (Magdalene), Hans Hopf (Walther), Gerhard Unger (David), Otto Edelmann (Sachs), Erich Kunz (Beckmesser), Freidrich Dahlberg (Pogner), Bayreuther Festspiel, Herbert von Karajan

6 - Helen Donath (Eva), Ruth Hesse (Magdalenee), René Kollo (Walther), Peter Schreier (David), Theo Adam (Sachs), Geraint Evans (Beckmesser), Karl Ridderbusch (Pogner), Staatskapelle Dresden, Herbert von Karajan

7 - Elisabeth Grümmer (Eva), Marga H&oumml;ffgen (Magdalene), Rudolf Schock (Walther), Gerhard Unger (David), Ferdinand Frantz (Sachs), Benno Kusche (Beckmesser), Gottlob Frick (Pogner), Berliner Philharmoniker, Rudolf Kempe

8 - Claire Watson (Eva), Lilian Benningsen (MMagdalene), Jess Thomas (Walther), Friedrich Lenz (David), Otto Wiener (Sachs), Benno Kusche (Beckmesser), Hans Hotter (Pogner), Bayerische Staatsoper, Josef Keilberth

9 - Gundula Janowitz (Eva), Brigitte Fassbaennder (Magdalene), Sandor Konya (Walther), Gerhard Unger (David), Thomas Stewart (Sachs), Thomas Hemsley (Beckmesser), Franz Crass (Pogner), Bayerische Rundfunk, Rafael Kubelik

10 - Cheryl Studer (Eva), Cornelia Kallisch (MMagdalene), Ben Heppner (Walther), Deon van der Walt (David), Bernd Weikl (Sachs), Siegfried Lorenz (Beckmesser), Bayerische Staatsoper, Wolfgang Sawallisch

11 - Hannelore Bode (Eva), Júlia Hamarii (Magdalene), René Kollo (Walther), Adolf Dallappozza (David), Norman Bailey (Sachs), Bernd Weikl (Beckmesser), Wiener Philharmoniker, Georg Solti

12 - Karita Mattila (Eva), Iris Vermillion (Maagdalene), Ben Heppner (Walther), Herbert Lippert (David), José van Dam (Sachs), Alan Opie (Beckmesser), René Pape (Pogner), Chicago Symphony, Georg Solti

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg is Wagner’s only comedy. As one could have guessed, Wagner had a weird sense of humour and his grandiloquence on dealing with a light story impares the most important quality of comedy - timing. Wagner’s structural talent was at its best and the sophisticated texture (resulting in the richest ensembles one could imagine), noble melodic mood and lush orchestral treatment, even if not necessarily the raw material for laughs, ensure that this is musical entertainment of the highest order. For modern audiences, the light romantic situation between Eva and Walther took pride of place and the character of Sachs has been dealt with as the male counterpart of the Feldmarschallin in Der Rosenkavalier. The other important agenda around this work involves the question of German art. Although it is impossible to dissociate it from the work (and one should not be willing to do it anyway), since WWII, it has become a taboo and people prefer to overlook it. Anyway, fans of Wagner music wouldn’t feel embarassed to admit the paramount quality of German...music. Although casting is quite complicate here, the most important element of a performance of Meistersinger is the conductor. This is the kind of work where the maestro has to know it all and show it. Basically, the scope of the work is too large in every musical sense and only the best conductors would be able to keep everything in place, let alone make something of it. The role of Eva is Wagner’s lightest main role for soprano - it requires a lyric voice with some stamina for her act III duet with Sachs, though. Davide is a role which requires a very flexible and high lying tenor - although some tone is necessary for the ensembles. However, the main tenor role, Walther, is the main problem here. It is not that the role is impossibly difficult, but it simply requires Italianate quality somehow. As we are dealing with German schooled tenors in most cases, good performances will be few. The role of Sachs, arguably the central character, requires a handsome-voiced bass-baritone with all the subtleties of a Lieder singer. There is also the role of Beckmesser, which has curiously invited baritones to resort to a quasi-Sprechgesang which has nothing to do with the proper style of this music. There are many secondary roles which require first-rate singing - and staging this opera has been a challenge to many opera houses.

Barenboim’s recording is the newest one in the discography. Although most reviewers were blasé about it, I think that its drawbacks are as big as as its niceties. One could predict that Barenboim’s basic "atmosphere" approach would not work to perfection in the clockwork structures of this score. And it doesn’t - especially when the choir is there. However, although there is not an organic quality to give it sense, all the elements are there, maybe due to Teldec’s superclear recording. However, this very "atmospheric" quality, made through rich and lush orchestral sound, makes this set appealing. Here, the orchestra takes first place and, although lightness is largely lost, the richness of Wagner’s invention comes through wonderfully. Some object to the recording sound, which is "overlit" - too big, too bright. Although voices are recorded too close, the orchestra retains its richness. I found the cast good, although I couldn’t find much to praise in Emily Magee’s Eva. The voice is too big and vibrant for the role and it simply denies everything we are used to associate with the character. Brigitta Svendén brings her rich contralto again to a role in which she has a lifelong experience and Endrik Wottrich’s David is darker voiced than most. Although the tone is really pleasing, he doesn’t have the extra comfort of many lighter tenors. On the other hand, Peter Seiffert has the perfect voice for the role. Although he is a German tenor, as much as Fritz Wunderlich, there is a liquid quality in his phrasing that simply works for Walther. It is simply a reference performance. Andreas Schmidt and Robert Holl are indeed accomplished singers, but their scenes sound as a séance, so determined they are to incarnate their teachers. I know that Meistersinger must have awaken in them the memories of the time where they were taught how to sing, but, especially in Andreas Schmidt’s case, it sounds as if Fischer-Dieskau was singing here. At least, he sounds like F-D in his best behaviour. Robert Holl’s case in more complicate - he doesn’t have the weight and power of Hans Hotter, but "inherited" the hollow sound and the poor articulation of his teacher's later period. Sometimes, it is difficult to make out what he is singing. I had had quite a better impression from a broadcast performance (only with a different tenor - Robert Dean Smith). There, I found the recorded sound more natural (singers and orchestra better balanced), Barenboim more inspired and Holl not only in better voice, but far more sensitive.

Every Wagnerian has dreamt of listening to Karl Böhm conducting this opera - since he has everything the score needs. He doesn’t disappoint in the event - his good sense of rhythm and of forward movement works beautifully in this opera. However, even if the recorded sound is really clear, it gives an unwanted prominence to brass, disfiguring Böhm’s nice control of ensemble. Unfortunately, there are some orchestral mistakes here and there too. The cast is also quite uneven. Gwyneth Jones is in her best behaviour as Eva. The voice is firm and bright and she phrases with musicianship and sensitivity. However, it is too big a voice for the surroundings. It is particularly problematic when a lighter-than-usual tenor was called to sing Walther. Although Waldemar Kmentt survives to the end of the opera, it is far from ingratiating and he is very free about pitch and note values. Also, I don’t know if I like Hermin Esser heavier-than-usual David. The low-voiced singers are repeaters from other casts and are consistent with their former performances.

Predictably, if conducting alone was the only criterion to evaluate these performances, Furtwängler would be the clear winner. Not only his phrasing is superb (the use of portamento by the strings is delightful), his sense of rubato and his understanding of structure is unmatched. The flexible way with wich he approaches every scene gives them all the naturality in the world and he has a nicest recorded sound for 1943. Of course, this is a live recording and the ending of act II, although far better than almost every other live performance, is still not ideal. Unfortunately, two important moments - a rather long passage in the beginning of the opera until David’s Nun sollt ihr singen and, most unfortunately, starting in Sachs’s Ein Kind war hier geboren to the end of the scene - were lost due to problems in the original tape. The cast is more functional than lovely. Maria Müller’s singing is a bit affected and she is a bit explosive in the most outspoken passages. Max Lorenz is in healthy voice and has impressive big top notes, but he is everything but subtle. Erich Zimmermann was 50 when he recorded it and he sounds accordingly. Although some find compensation in an "insightful" performance, I haven’t noticed anything special going on there. Prohaska’s Sachs is similarly short on insight - he seems more worried in producing lots of sound. Fuchs’ Beckmesser has the annoying habit of attacking his top notes in an open tone and is a bit heavy handed - in act II, all the humour is in Furtwängler’s orchestra alone.

Jochum’s recording is generally considered the safe choice in the discography, althouth it badly needs remastering. It is a bit on the overbright side. Jochum’s conducting is spontaneity itself - the atmosphere of each scene is naturally established and there is amazing clarity throughout. It works beautifully - only I would prefer if the balance was less favourable to singers. I also think Jochum should have been more positive with his cast - I have the impression he let them do what they wanted. The result is that each one is singing his own idea of what Meistersinger is. Everybody, but Caterina Ligendza, who is having enough bad time trying to pull out her lines. Her voice is poorly focused and unpleasant. She should sound younger than Christa Ludwig’s maternal Magdalene - only she doesn’t. Although Plácido Domingo is controversial casting as Walther (he was experimenting with German repertoire then and the last thing you’ll find here is understanding of German language), he sings the role with such richness of tone, debonair and seductive quality that he ends on producting a very successful performance - especially when almost his entire competition cannot offer any of these. Laubenthal is carefree light tenor singing itself as David. The main problem here is Fischer-Dieskau as Sachs. First of all, he has never been a bass baritone and here the voice had already lost a great deal of its harmonics. Moreover, his overinflected delivery of the text and affected phrasing denies everything we know about Sachs. This is particularly harmful when Roland Hermann produces a noble thoroughly musicianly Beckmesser.

The Dresden Karajan recording is eccentric all the way. First of all, we sample the rare combination of Dresden and Karajan. A combination which almost didn’t happen, since Karajan burnt all the deadlines EMI had settled to this recording, until he was told that, either he would arrive in the Lukaskirche in the morning or Karl Böhm would take over the recording. Considering the results, I regret Karajan’s train didn’t have a serious delay. It is not that this recording is not beautiful - it is extremely beautiful, but this is evverything it is. Karajan’s underaticulated phrasing in less than natural pace definitely doesn’t work for this of all operas, especially in the end of act II. Of course, one should sample the lushness of the Staatskapelle’s strings, especially in the quintett, particularly beautiful in this recording. When she was invited to sing Eva, Helen Donath thought Karajan was kidding her. So, he had to invite her to a test-session so that she could convince herself she could sing the role. Well, he proved he was right. Her youthful bell-like soprano is a total success and the fact that she kept singing it live proves that the idea was very nice after all. I wished I could say the same of René Kollo’s Walther. I find his voice edgy in an unpleasant way here. Peter Schreier’s voice could be described in the same way, but he is more creative and manages to be funny as David. Theo Adam’s voice is neither beautiful nor noble, but, as always, his intelligent and accurate phrasing makes wonders. But none of those minor problems compare to Geraint Evans’ detestable performance as Beckmesser. It is so poorly sung, exaggeratedly interpretated and the result is so ugly - I am quite convinced that this is the worst vocal performance I have ever heard in my life. He alone prevents me from listening to this recording as often as I would like. Not even Karl Ridderbusch’s exquisite voice and utterly musical manners as Pogner compensate the creep show offered by Evans.

There is also Karajan’s performance from Bayreuth’s reopening season (1951). The sound has an impressive immediacy, although too much prominence is given to voices. Also, the way it was manipulated by engineers is quite irritating, but here Karajan proves what kind of Wagnerian he used to be. The phrasing is liquid and articulate and, although Furtwängler still beats him in his understanding of overall structures and sophisticated phrasing, Karajan’s imagination on details is admirable. Despite an unforgivable poorly tuned lute, the Beckmesser/Sachs scene in act II is genuinely funny. It is a pity that the ensuing ensemble is such as a mess. I also like the energy and flexibility in the Sachs/David scene in act III. The cast here, alas, is nothing unforgettable. Although Schwarzkopf’s fans may rejoice in her usual idiossincrasies applied to Wagner, the role taxes her. She has some trouble dealing with long lines in full voice and is below pitch now and then. Hans Hopf has a strong tenor with amazing top notes, but he lacks flowing legato and some of his mannerisms are outdated. Unger’s David is really too light toned here. Edelmann’s Sachs has a powerful well focused voice, but the result is a bit impersonal. Despite some untidy moments, Erich Kunz has imagination and is even funny in his key scenes.

Keilberth’s recording is a live from the Bavarian State Opera. Despite its many disadvantages, including an uncreative conductor, a flawed orchestra and some uneven ensemble work, it is warmly recorded and has a je ne sais quoi - it is really likeable if you don’t pay lots of attention. Call it background Meistersinger if you prefer. Although Claire Watson’s tone is not ideally focused, she is a stylish singer and phrases affectingly. Jess Thomas is also not ideally cast - the tone is too big and tends to get metallic - but he sings with real commitment and energy. His Walther is a bit of a bully, but it sounds convincing somehow. Friedrich Lenz is a decent David. Unfortunately, none of the basses are really convincing. Otto Wiener’s voice is too poor for Sachs, although it is not unbearable. Kusche is again Beckmesser, a bit more "singend" than "sprechend" here. Hans Hotter is, well, Hans Hotter as Pogner. I still have some trouble adapting to his singing here, but, if you’re a fan, who knows...

Kempe EMI recording comes on mono sound. However, it is so clear and rich that there is nothing to complain about here - except for a balance again too favourable to voices. Musically speaking, the performance is a complete success, with Kempe’s good ear for structures and clarity together with rich phrasing from the Berlin Philharmonic providing great results. It lacks cheerfulness somehow, though. Both Kempe and his cast are too stiff and austere in their approach and theatricality runs here in very low levels. Elisabeth Grümmer is the best among rich-voiced Evas and, even if Rudolf Schock is not totally at ease with what he has to sing, at least he has the required light approach. Gerhard Unger’s lightest tenor finds no problems with David. I find Ferdinand Frantz’s Sachs too phlegmatic and his voice is not particular suggestive of Sachs’ personality. Benno Kusche, despite an attractive firm tone, prefers speaking to singing. Gottlob Frick is his usual incisive forceful self as Pogner.

Kubelik’s performance is a complicate affair. It was recorded by the Bavarian Radio and then, because of a difficult situation involving copyrights, only appeared in pirate labels, offering sources taken from the radio. Finally, Calig released the original masters. The final product improved a lot, but is still far from ideal. The recording lacks space and the balance tends for the singers. The sound is a bit on the hard side too. Kubelik’s conducting, of course, is excellent - very agile and lively, while keeping utmost accuracy throughout. Sample the end of act II, the difficult scene sounding spontaneous while every note is in place. He has also a nicest flexible orchestra in the Bavarian Radio Symphony. His cast is largely successful. Gundula Janowitz is an ideal Eva, really charming in act II, although the hard quality of the recording together with close miking prevents her from producing the necessary Schwung in act III. Brigitte Fassbaender manages to call attention to her congenial Magdalene, while Unger repeats his lightweight sans-soucis David. Unfortunately, this recording caught the Hungarian tenor Sándor Kónya in his worst manners. He is rather accented, the tone is ill-supported, his intonation in suspect and there are some distracting operetta mannerisms throughout. An unacceptable performance. On the other hand, Thomas Stewart’s baritone Sachs is a complete success. Not only does he sound still young and lively as Sachs, but also singshis monologues with real sensitivity and beauty of tone. Thomas Hemsley is also a musical unexaggerated Beckmesser and Franz Crass brings richness of tone to Pogner.

Sawallisch’s recording is my idea of safe choice for this opera. Although his ideas could have been more strongly printed in the performance, it moves in a natural light way with a certain Straussian quality in the coloristic sounds of the orchestra and richness of orchestral sound. Also, EMI recording is rather unfussed for a digital studio recording - all for the best. It also counts with a really successful cast. Although Cheryl Studer is a bit hard-voiced as Eva, her tone and manners are ideal for the role and she is involved in each dramatic situation. It is a pity that Cornelia Kallisch was in such poor voice for Magdalene. It is a role that tends to take second place, and with so little tone to work with, one barely notices it. On the other hand, Ben Heppner brings a rich bright tone for Walther. It is his best role and he sings it in unusual animation and freshness. Although Seiffert is slightly more spontaneous and communicative, Heppner here is my favourite Walther. He is nicely contrasted to the tenorino of Deon van der Walt, which compensates the small voiced vocalism with lots of spirit and energy. It is a pity that Bernd Weikl was already past his best days when he recorded it, though. The voice is not ideally firm and he has to resort to some unlegato-ish singing to express some ideas. Siegfried Lorenz is a decent Beckmesser and Kurt Moll is a nice Pogner.

Solti’s Vienna recording is a usual target for ill-humoured reviewers, but I think that this is unfair. Solti is in his lightest manners and the Vienna Philharmonic offers exquisite sonorities throughout. The recorded sound is the usual Decca deluxe, but they bring singers closer to the microphones for the more intimate scenes. There are moments, such as in the act II finale, where there could be a bit more of the orchestra, but the clarity of the choir and soloists is admirable. The phrasing is intelligent and refined throughout and it only proves that the fashion of saying bad things of Solti is mean and proves that someone didn’t have his score at hand while listening to it. The cast has some interesting performances. Hannelore Bode’s shimmering soprano is seductive enough and, although she’s not unforgettable, she is quite convincing and pleasant. Júlia Hamari could be described in a similar way. René Kollo’s voice here was made to sound metallic and effortful, but he is more at ease interpretatively than with Karajan and here he tries at least to offer some legato. Adolf Dallappozza is in healthy voice as David and not only does he offer rich tone, but is characterful all the way. Norman Bailey’s voice, although it has the necessary weight and size, is lugubrious and his obvious good intentions are impared by this fact. On the other hand, Bernd Weikl’s Beckmesser is sensational. In act II, this Beckmesser sings and plays the lute (really, the lute player is really excellent) better than anyone else. His beauty of tone and virtuoso quality in passagework would have wooed any Eva - he is far more charming than Kollo and Bailey. By the way, this scene is wonderfully handled by Solti and Weikl, beside his vocal mastery, offers genuine sense of humour. The idea of using Moll (in impressive voice as Pogner) and Weikl under a fake name to sing the Nightwatch is silly, though. Everyone can recognize their voices.

It is particularly nice that Solti, in the end of his career, was able to surpass himself in a performance of Meistersinger which is musically impressive. The Chicago Symphony is in such light and flexible manners that one could mistake them for the Vienna Philharmonic and the choir is also excellent. Moreover, Decca recorded this concert performance in utmost naturality. Solti’s clear ideas about the score are even sharper now and the finale of act II is simply outstanding in its structural clarity and dramatic purposefulness. The only moment where things are below standard is the Beckmesser serenade in act II. There, his Beckmesser’s lack of ease and vocal awkward phrasing make it difficult for the conductor to make it flow in the natural way. Just compare the Weikl recording to see how things worked in optimal conditions. Karita Mattila is a more sensuous soprano than we are used to see in the role. She sings beautifully all the way and shows real charisma. Iris Vermillion also calls some attention to her dark mezzo soprano too. Although Ben Heppner is less comfortable than in the Sawallisch recording, it is still a role meant for his voice and temperament. Herbert Lippert offers a firm and pleasant tenor, used with good taste and skill, as David. Although José van Dam’s voice is less rich than it used to be (especially in the lower reaches), it is still the work of an intelligent and sensitive singer. René Pape brings his chocolate bass to great effects as Pogner. The only drawback here is Alan Opie’s uneven singing. It must be said, though, that he doesn’t resort to speaking - and that’s already something to be taken in consideration. In a word, a clear and pleasant performance where the balance between orchestra and singers is ideal.

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~Der Ring des Nibelungen

You are going to find below Rodrigo’s comments on the recordings of the Ring. In order to read Olivier Galiri’s comments on Furtwängler, Neues Bayreuth and studio recordings, just follow this link.

1 - Anne Evans (Brünnhilde), Nadine Secuunde (Sieglinde), Linda Finnie (Fricka), Brigitta Svenden (Erda), Siegfried Jerusalem (Siegfried), Poul Elming (Siegmund), Graham Clark (Loge/Mime in Siegfried), John Tomlinson (Wotan), Günther von Kannen (Alberich), Bayreuther Festpiel, Daniel Barenboim

2 - Birgit Nilsson (Brünnhilde), Leonie Rysanek (Sieglinde), Anneliese Burmeister (Fricka), Vera Soukopová (Erda), Wolfgang Windgassen (Siegfried/Loge), James King (Siegmund), Erwin Wohlfahrt (Mime), Theo Adam (Wotan), Gustav Neidlinger (Alberich), Bayreuther Festspiele, Karl Böhm

3 - Gwyneth Jones (Brünnhilde), Jeanninee Altmeyer (Sieglinde), Hanna Schwarz (Fricka), Ortrun Wenkel (Erda), Manfred Jung (Siegfried), Peter Hofmann (Siegmund), Heinz Zednik (Loge/Mime in Siegfried), Donald McIntyre (Wotan), Hermann Becht (Alberich), Bayreuther Festspiel, Pierre Boulez

4 - Eva Marton (Brünnhilde), Cheryl Studder (Sieglinde), Waltraud Meier (Fricka), Jadwiga Rappé (Erda), Siegfried Jerusalem (Siegfried), Reiner Goldberg (Siegmund), Heinz Zednik (Loge), Peter Haage (Mime), James Morris (Wotan), Theo Adam (Alberich), Bayerische Rundfunk, Bernard Haitink

5 - Jeannine Altmeyer (Brünnhilde), Jesssye Norman (Sieglinde), Yvonne Minton (Fricka), Ortrun Wenkel (Erda), René Kollo (Siegfried), Siegfried Jerusalem (Siegmund), Peter Schreier (Loge/Mime in Siegfried), Theo Adam (Wotan), Siegmund Nimsgern (Alberich), Staatskapelle Dresden, Marek Janowski

6 - Régine Crespin/Helga Dernesch (Br&ünnhilde), Gundula Janowitz (Sieglinde), Josephine Veasey (Fricka), Oralia Dominguez (Erda), Jess Thomas/Helge Brilioth (Siegfried), Jon Vickers (Siegmund), Gerhard Stolze (Loge/Mime in Siegfried), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau/Thomas Stewart (Wotan), Zoltan Keleman (Alberich), Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan

7 - Hildegard Behrens (Brünnhilde), Jesssye Norman (Sieglinde), Christa Ludwig (Fricka), Brigitta Svenden (Erda), Siegfried Jerusalem (Siegfried/Loge), Gary Lakes (Siegmund), Heinz Zednik (Mime), James Morris (Wotan), Ekkehard Wlaschiha (Alberich), The Metropolitan Opera, James Levine

8 - Hildegard Behrens (Brünnhilde), Juliia Varady (Sieglinde), Marjana Lipovsek (Fricka), Hanna Schwarz (Erda), René Kollo (Siegfried), Robert Schunk (Siegmund), Robert Tear (Loge), Helmut Pampuch (Mime), Robert Hale (Wotan), Ekkehard Wlaschiha (Alberich), Bayerische Staatsoper, Wolfgang Sawallisch

9 - Birgit Nilsson (Brünnhilde), R&eacutte;gine Crespin (Sieglinde), Kirsten Flagstad/Christa Ludwig (Fricka), Jean Madeira/Marga Höffgen (Erda), Woldgang Windgassen (Siegfried), James King (Siegmund), Set Svanholm (Loge), Gerhard Stolze (Mime), George London/Hans Hotter (Wotan), Gustav Neidlinger (Alberich), Wiener Philharmoniker, Georg Solti

10 - Renate Behle/Lisa Gasteen/Luana de Vol (BBrünnhilde), Angela Denoke (Sieglinde), Michaela Schuster/Tichina Vaughn (Fricka), Mette Ejsing/Helene Ranada (Erda), Jon Frideric West/Albert Bonnema (Siegfried), Robert Gambill (Siegmund), Robert Künzli (Loge), Eberhard Francesco Lorenz/Heinz Görig (Mime), Wolfgang Probst/Jan-Hendrik Rootering/Wolfgang Schöne (Wotan), Esa Ruutunen/Björn Waag/Franz Josef-Kapellman (Alberich), Staatsorchester Suttgart, Lothar Zagrosek

Der Ring des Nibelungen is certainly Wagner’s most ambitious work. From the original idea of making one big opera, the project developed to a cycle of four operas, or, as he said, three operas and a prologue. The prologue would be Rhinegold, followed by the The Valkyrie, Siegfried and Twilight of the Gods. As The Valkyrie is the most popular of the cycle, there are some recordings of it outside a ring cycle - we’ll talk about them after the complete recordings of the cycle.

In a work of such bulk, it is undeniable that it is difficult to speak of regularity. Since the plot has its intricacies, there are some moments where the story is recapitulated, ending on some lack of action, for example. Of the whole cycle, probably the most theatrical is The Rhinegold, where the dramatic actions go on in a fast pace and all the characters are presented in an effective and summary way. Maybe the character of Loge could be accused of talkativeness for non-German speakers, but I disagree with that. Every apparition of Loge carries the story forward and is plenty of scenic situations.

The Valkyrie introduces the audiences to new characters and, for a while, it is difficult to understand what is their relation to the general plot and the change of scene for the Walhalla in act II is a wonderful coup de theâtre. More than that - act II is a total contrast to act one. Inn the latter, a romantic lyric atmosphere prevails, while the former is made of theatrical confrontations between characters, ending on the most dramatic imaginable scene - Siegmund being killed by his own father. Act III starts with the famous Ride of the Valkyries and is followed by a scene which, although long for dramatic purposes, is emotionally and musically overwhelming - Wotan’s farewell to Brünnhilde.

Siegfried is generally the less easily seductive opera of the cycle, but I have noticed that - live - is the one which works better. In atmosphere, it is closer to Valkyrie’s act II, with its dramatic confrontations - only in a more exciting manner here. There is room also for lyric episodes such as Siegfried’s scene in the forest and the haunting closing scene, with the otherworldly atmosphere for Brünnhilde’s awakening.

The Twilight of the Gods not only is the Ring’s longest part, but also the more varied in atmosphere. I’d also say the tougher for both conductor and stage director, because of the difficulty in establishing a coherent linking. Dramatically speaking, the prologue starts with the inconvenient, although musically marvellous Norns scene. It is followed by the lyric and uplifting duet between Brünnhilde and Siegfried. Then, there is one of the most famous Wagnerian orchestral passages - Siegfried’s Journey through the Rhine. Then act I starts with the most problematic Gibichungen Hall scene - in which the protean nature of the music is elusive to most conductors. Things are quite different in another dramatic confrontation - Waltraute and Brünnhilde - in which the alto has the great Waltraute’s Narration, a most cunning way to remind the audience of important motives under a most heightened dramatic situation. Then there is another difficult moment - Siegfried disguised as Gunther and Brünnhilde. Again, the musical material is very fluid and the lack of a firm approach can ruin the whole passage. We’re back to the Gibichungen Hall for act II, with another scene of atmosphere - Alberich’s appearing for Hagen - and the contrast to the raw excitement of Hagen’s calls is telling. The chorus appears for the first time in the Ring and it is a preparation for the great culmination of the double wedding of Gutrune and Siegfried and Brünnhilde and Gunther - an almost "Italian opera" situation, wonderfully handled by Wagner and the "revenge trio" (aren’t we Italianate here?) closes the act in a gripping and musically sophisticated way. Act III is not as regular as act II - although it has some of the most famous Wagnerian scenes: Siegfried’s Funeral March and the Immolation Scene. The most challenging passage is beyond doubt Siegfried’s death - again we are dealing with recapitulation and the success of it relies also in the talents of the tenor.

Casting a Ring is a herculean task - most roles are written to almost impossible voices. Let’s start with Brünnhilde - a role for what one could call, at first sight, a high dramatic soprano - she has the ho-jo-to-ho to sing (including a trill), but then the rest of The Valkyrie is very low for a high soprano. Here we have the "short blanket" phenomenon in practice - either the singer will have the top or the low notes. The preference for the top notes or the low notes Brünnhilde depends of each generation. In the Flagstad/Varnay/Traubel days, the low ones used to be the preference, but Nilsson changed the thing to the top ones. Today, popular preference goes again to warm voices. I would say that, on her best years, Varnay was the most successful Brünnhilde in this aspect. Sieglinde, in theory, is far easier to cast. If we keep in mind that the role suits a big voiced lyric soprano or a jugendlich dramatisch, it works beautifully - the top notes do not stress them and they generally have good control of low notes. When you cast it with a dramatic soprano, Sieglinde hardly sounds seductive enough. Or when there is a mezzo to sing the role, although the result is earthy enough - top notes may sound really effortful and that is everything the audience does not want. A mezzo should be kept for the roles of Fricka and Waltraute - and not a pushed lyric mezzo, but a dramatic one, otherwise the impact is lost. The tenors are probably the harder stuff - Siegmund requires a quasi-baritonal range and the ability of sustaining top notes dangerously close to passaggio and Siegfried demands the rarest jugendlich dramatisch tenor - one with easy bright top notes and enough carrying power. Whenever the role is cast with a dramatic tenor, the audience has to endure the strained top notes; when the singer has a lyric voice, he rarely survives to the end of the opera... The next controversy turns around Loge - is it a role for a heroic or characteristic tenor? I think that both ways work. As for the role of Wotan, it has rarely been cast with the prescribed heroic bass-baritone. Either you have a heroic baritone or a heroic bass. In case one, you miss the low notes, in case two the top ones. I think the case is less serious than Brünnhilde’s, because Wotan’s vocal demands are less exposed than Brünnhilde’s and there is more opportunity for "interpretation" in Wotan. A vocally perfect Wotan is not enough, but a vocally perfect Brünnhilde is already quite satisfying...

The first complete studio recording of the Ring is Solti’s and producer John Culshaw insisted not only that some theatrical perspective be given to it but also that voices should not be too dominant over the orchestra. The recorded sound is generally good - in Rheingold’s case, one could say even it is very good for the 50’s. Of course, this is the Decca overgrand sound and analytic and clear sound perspective was not the aim here. The young Solti’s approach to the score is ultimately a non-approach. One cannot see a "concept" here - the idea was to make it the most brilliant one could get. There are some undeniably exciting moments, but it is rather predictable in a general way. The playing of the Vienna Philharmonic is one of the set’s most positive assets. It puts in perspective Solti’s urgent views, with its polished, clear and articulate sound. Birgit Nilsson’s Brünnhilde is a classic performance - nobody can compete with her missile-like bright top notes and purity of line. However, her reading tends to be unvaried. She rarely changes her tone colour and, although she has clear diction, she does not make much of the text. Her contrast with Régine Crespin’s Sieglinde is very strong, since the French soprano has a sophisticated and intense verbal expression and her tone is warm, feminine and sensuous. Claire Watson’s Gutrune is quite successful too - her tone is attractive and there is a passive quality about her performance that fits the role. We have two Frickas - in Rhinegold, Kirsten Flagstad is rather bland, but Christa Ludwig makes wonders in The Valkyrie - her control over the whole range and vocal glamour are admirable. Her Waltraute is also excellent. James King’s Siegmund is another successful piece of casting - his tone is warm, clear and spontaneous and he sings with engagement throughout. That is not the case of Wolfgang Windgassen’s Siegfried. His voice was then a pushed up Charaktertenor - the tone is rather bland and the performance is efficient but not exciting. Set Svanholm’s Loge, sung in clear heroic tones, sounds particularly pleasing, if we remember the exaggerations that tend to appear in this role. One example of how bad it could have been is Gerhard Stolze’s Mime - it is so unbearably exaggerated that when Siegfried finally kills him I feel an immense relief. There are two Wotans here - George London’s irresistible portrayal in Rhinegold and Hans Hotter defeated by his vocal decline in The Valkyrie and Siegfried. Sure his intelligence and sensitivity are still there, but his rye-fever afflicted un-legato-ish singing is an ordeal to the audience. It would have been better if this distinguished Wagnerian had preserved his reputation with his old recordings. One cannot forget Gustav Neidlinger’s intense Alberich - a classical portrayal. The remaining cast has distinguished performances and some less distinguished by the likes of Lucia Popp, Gwyneth Jones, Helen Watts, Joan Sutherland, Jean Madeira and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. Ah, we can never forget it: in Twilight of the Gods, when Siegfried appears to Brünnhilde disguised as Gunther it is Windgassen’s voice, but distorted in studio to sound like Fischer-Dieskau’s - at least, this is what they say.

Böhm’s cycle was recorded live in Bayreuth. The great Austrian conductor was not a boy by then. Quite the contrary. Although he had still amazing energy (his Ring is really animated by any standards), he did not have by then the necessary patience to build with his musicians his purpose. So, what we get here is "hit or miss". When it hits, it is really exciting, such as in The Valkyrie’s closing scene - when it misses, it is embarassing. The forging song in Siegfried is a showpiece: the tenor, the hammer, the orchestra, each works in its own pace. The recorded sound lacks polish - it tends to be noisy. If you like the heat of live performance, with its problems and qualities, then this is probably your Ring. Also, Böhm’s experience as a Straussian makes him to play all the orchestral effects in a most characterful way. However, a perfectionist ear would have to put up with some blundering. If you want to sample a bit of it, The Valkyrie is probably the best idea - the excellent performance has an earthy athletic quality that makes it iressistible. Birgit Nilsson’s performance has an engagement unavailable in the studio recording - although she is still not the subtlest of singers. Also, her voice is more faithfully recorded here than in Solti’s recording. On the other hand, Leonie Rysanek’s Sieglinde is controversial all the way. She is free about everything - note values, pitch etc - not to mention that the role does not fit her voice. It is too low for her high soprano and her efforts to be heard in the lower reaches result in a plethora of weird sounds. However, one can rightly claim that her performance has panache in plenty - I used to be harder about it. Annelies Burmeister is a commited Fricka, in spite of an unglamourous voice, but I think that Martha Mödl’s Waltraute gets the golden raspberry for horridest vocal performance. James King outshines his studio performance with an even more intense Siegmund. It is a mesmerizing performance, but Windgassen’s problems as Siegfried get more apparent live. However, back to his original Fach, he produces a clean and congenial Loge. Theo Adam’s Wotan is controversial. I think that his talent for declamation is a clear asset and his voice has good top and low notes, although his tone is eccentrically clear for a bass-baritone. However, many complain of his lack of firmness. Gustav Neidlinger is again a powerful Alberich. His expressive singing remains a model for this role.

Karajan’s Ring is 100% controversial. Many call it the "chamber-music" Ring, because of its transparent orchestral sounds. I think that it is an exaggeration. Karajan’s Ring is at its best whenever lush orchestral sounds are needed - when texture gets too complex or too loose, Karajan’s underarticulated phrasing and fancy dynamics tend to make things confuse or lacking purpose. His orchestra is completely responsive to its conductor’s wishes and whims and they produce rich string sound. However, DG recording is problematic. It always tended to be metallic. On LP, the sound was definitely warmer. In its first appearance on CD, it was unbearably overlit. The re-issue on the "Originals" series tamed it, but bass is still missing. In this Ring, many roles are taken by two singers. In Valkyrie, we have Régine Crespin as Brünnhilde, but it is Helga Dernesch who sings this role in the remaining operas. Karajan once said that the best Brünnhilde he had ever seen was Germaine Lubin - her warm feminine yet powerful singing made the role particularly expressive. On inviting Crespin, he wished to reproduce this. I think that nothing is more unfair in life than Crespin’s lack of ease with top c’s - no-one deserved them more than her, for, even with her hard top notes, nobody sang the Valkyrie Brünnhilde better than her. If she could have sung the remaining operas, this would have been a definitive reference. The French soprano’s warm, flexible, powerful and feminine voice makes the role more congenial than ever. Her ease with low tessitura is admirable and her sensitive reading over a rich tonal palette and Lieder-singing-like expression. Also, her soft tones could melt a heart of stone. Altough Helga Dernesch is not in this level, her warm tone, good taste and sensitivity also make for an attractive Brünnhilde, but her top notes tend to be pinched. When you have such seductive voices for Brünnhilde, casting Sieglinde is almost a challenge. Karajan solved this resorting to the old tradition of inviting lyric sopranos for the role, such as we had seen with Maria Müller and Maria Reining (a tradition interrupted with Lotte Lehmann’s establishing the standard for the part) - so Gundula Janowitz’s ethereal voice was given to the Wälsung sister. The result of it was one of her most engaged and winning performances. She is also an exquisite Gutrune. Josephine Veasey is a light, but incisive Fricka, but Oralia Dominguez’s wide-ranging voice steals the show as Erda. Christa Ludwig surpasses her Waltraute for Solti, as well. Jon Vickers is a rather muscular Siegmund and his voice is far from beautiful - but his imagination and mezza voce really make difference. There are two Siegfrieds. Jess Thomas was not in his best voice - the sound is not very attractive, but it is not as bad as most reviewers want us to believe and his rendering of the text is most sensitive. However, Helge Brilioth’s voice is so beautiful and youthful that I cannot think of someone who had done better than him. There is also Gerhard Stolze both as Loge and Mime. He offers his usual bizarre characterizations, but his voice is better recorded here than for Solti. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau is a young and bright Wotan in Rheingold, but Thomas Stewart’s handsome baritone is light for the two next operas. However, it is sung with such musicianship and intelligence that one ends on getting used to it. Similarly, Zoltan Keleman’s bright voiced Alberich wins the audiences with his commitment. One could not forget Karl Ridderbusch’s velvety Hagen and Fafner (even if the voice is too pretty for those roles) and Martti Talvela’s towering Hunding.

Boulez’s Ring was the one presented in the centenary season in Bayreuth. He had a fellow Frenchman as stage director - Patrice Chereau. The production was a love or hate affair in Bayreuth, but, now that the heat of the moment is past, it is almost unanimous that this is the best staging of the Ring in video. It is, without a shadow of doubt, a French staging. Gods are depicted as the nobility, the Nibelungen as the sans-culottes, Wotan has the Foucault’s pendulum in his office, the Rhinemaids are prostitutes and there is plenty of classical columns and ruins throughout. However, it is the actors’ direction that deserves pride of place. Their acting is so natural and convincing - sometimes it seems as if you were watching an Ingmar Bergman’s film. Also, the cast has physique de rôle all the way - the most brilliant piece of casting involving a tenor and a soprano who look a believable pair of twins as Siegmund and Sieglinde. Boulez’s conducting is said to be "modern", but I think this is not the correct way to define it. I’d call it "classic" - the phrasing is amazingly clear, woodwind has a special place in the sound perspective, the pace is natural, not fast nor slow, and there is a nice sense of overall structure throughout. The Bayreuth Festival orchestra is in wonderful shape. However, things would be too good to be true. These performances were released twice: on CD by Philips and on video by Unitel. On CDs, the sound is simply unacceptable, distorting harmonics (which is particularly harmful for singers’ voices) and changing perspectives to an irrecognisable level. I simply recommend you NOT to buy it in any case. On VHS and LD, the sound tended to be more natural, but, even so, the result was pale. On DVD, a great job has been done. The harmonics are natural again, but the voices still have a great advantage over the orchestra. You have to hear it very loud so that the orchestral sound blooms, but then singers’ voice could make you deaf. I still think it is worthwhile for Chereau’s wonderful achievement. Gwyneth Jones is a most sensitive Brünhilde, musicianly and moving. Some of her top notes are squally, but that is a minor problem compared to her overall wonderful results. And her ho-jo-to-ho with firm top notes AND THE TRILLS is a must-listen. Jeannine Altmeyer is in lush voice for Sieglinde, but her American consonants appear now and then. Hanna Schwarz was then light voiced for Fricka and Ortrun Wenkel is rather a pushed-down mezzo as Erda. Peter Hofmann was in healthy voice for Siegmund and, although his tone is not beautiful, it is uniquely dark and bright. It is probably his best recorded performance. Although Manfred Jung’s Siegfried is not handsome- voiced and rather unvaried in colour, his vocalism is healthy. On the other hand, Heinz Zedink’s easy and natural Characktertenor makes wonders in Loge and Mime. Hermann Becht’s voice doesn’t have the easiest top notes, but it is rich and his characterization intense. As Hagner, Fritz Hübner displays a velvety voice with some attractive top notes. Donald McIntyre is a baritone and not one of the darkest type - he also does not have the smoothest of legatos, but his understanding of the text, variety of inflection and beautiful top notes really work for me. With the help of image, their performances are even more convincing - The Valkyrie being particularly successful.

Janowski’s Ring is a completely different case. The German conductor, with his structural concern and classical approach, plays it as if he was conducting Brahms. If you want to know what happens to the flute on bar "n" in Siegfried’s Funeral March while the orchestra is in a fortissimo - this is your recording. That does not mean there is no drama going on here - The Valkyrie and particularly Rhinegold are wonderfully served by fast tempi and characterful singers. Also, the Staatskapelle Dresden, with impressive prominent woodwind, is in wonderful shape and adds to the beauty of the experience, but do not expect for lots of "atmosphere" here - singers tend to be favoured, but the orchestral sound is always full and clear. Not surprisingly, it is Twilight of the Gods the most disappointing issue of this cycle - especially because it has the less glamourous casting. As a matter of fact, casting helped a lot to make these performances so successful with buyers (and also bargain prices). Even the shortest roles have singers such as Lucia Popp, Cheryl Studer and Hanna Schwarz. For the role of Brünnhilde, there is Jeannine Almeyer. Although her tone is still attractive and she sings with good technique, her lack of involvement with the text and calculated approach to dramatic top notes do not promise an unforgettable experience. On the other hand, Jessye Norman’s Sieglinde suffers from excess of involvement. Her delivery of the text is so over-inflected that when she says "Erquickung schaff ich", it seems as if the Feldmarschallin was fetching a cup of coffee for Octavian. However, she is in rich voice and, whether we like it or not, it is an "intelligent" performance. Yvonne Minton is another lightweight Fricka, but she has lots of temperament. Siegfried Jerusalem’s Siegmund is a very nice surprise - it is amazingly fresh voiced and boyish. It disarms the listener somehow and offers the role in an unusually human and moving perspective. Also, René Kollo was a very good piece of casting - for once, a singer in the right Fach for the role. His performance in Siegfried is particularly admirable, with his freshness of tone and debonair approach. When overinflection is wrapped on Jessye Norman’s luxuriant tones, I surrender to it, but when it is in Peter Schreier’s pinched voice, I really have to hold my breath and make an effort. I know it must be an acquired taste, but I haven’t acquired it yet. Theo Adam’s Wotan was controversial almost 20 years before this recording - here the lack of firmness takes pride of place. It sure sounds like Wotan, but a trembling one - it is still the work of an intelligent and sensitive singer, though. On the other hand, Siegmund Nimsgern is in sensational voice and characterizes richly. We also have Matti Salminen’s Hagen and Fafner and Kurt Moll’s Hunding as glamourous casting.

Haitink’s Ring has strong competition to deal with. In no aspect, this Ring is superior to the other ones, but that does not mean it is bad. It has excellent playing from the Bavarian Radio orchestra and is beautifully and warmly recorded - the problem is Haitink’s limitation to control larger structures. The task is too much for a conductor who not only has not acquired a reputation as an opera conductor, but also whose musical perception is modest to deal with all he has to do here. His greatest asset is his aknowledged modesty - as he does not try to do too many things, he does not overdo things at all. The result is that less structurally complex scenes work particularly well - when it is not so, things sound a bit cautious. He also tends to underplay articulation. As a consequence, The Valkyrie is not only the best of the cycle, but also a nice recording in any standards. Eva Marton’s voice is big enough for Brünhilde and she is a most sensitive performer, but it lacks tonal variety and, most of all, firmness. In The Valkyrie, where the tessitura is lower, she does a very good job. In the remaining operas, it lacks finish as a whole. On the other hand, Cheryl Studer’s clear soprano works beautifully for Sieglinde. Her performance has a radiance unmatched by many other singers famous for this role. Marjana Lipovsek is a very good Fricka in Rhinegold, but is replaced by an impressive Waltraud Meier in The Valkyrie. Reiner Goldberg is a powerful but problematic Siegmund, his voice under poor control, but Siegfried Jerusalem, although his voice is not unlike Windgassen’s, is a fresh Siegfried - his lyric tenor stretched to heroic needs lacking beauty of tone, though. Heinz Zednik repeats his fluent Loge, but the idea of inviting Theo Adam for Alberich was not very good - he is in bad shape. James Morris’s big bass-baritone fills Wotan’s phrases sumptuously and he is very musicianly. He is accused of lacking verbal nuance, though. There is some glamourous casting, especially involving light voices here - Kiri Te Kanawa, Anne Sofie Von Otter, Jard Van Nes, Thomas Hampson et al.

When we come to Levine’s Ring there are actually TWO of them: the live and the studio, both from the Met. In both, Levine’s conducting is always efficient - he tends to slower speeds, but his recordings are very clear and faithful, making for utmost clarity. Levine also likes big orchestral sounds, producting some beautiful effects throughout. In studio, the recording is very full, but things tend to be bureaucratic. Live, especially in the Japanese DVD transfering, the recording has unparalleled level of clarity and Levine’s conducting has more creativity and animation - if you have doubts, sample Siegfried act I. Hildegard Behrens is Brünnhilde in both performances - her top notes are wonderful and she is very commited (video helps to show this, although her acting was made to look quite conventional). She has the usual problem with her middle register and, in The Valkyrie, this appears more often. Live, she tends to get tired in the end of operas too. Jessye Norman is the only Sieglinde here too. Her voice is richer than in Janowski's cycle and her interpretation is also more focused now. She does not look her part - she is too big for that and the stage direction is not very helpful. She resorts to her usual intense facial expressions. Sometimes, it is quite interesting, but it is too eccentric in a general way. In studio, there is the glamourous casting of Cheryl Studer as Gutrune, live there is Hanna Lisowska, who has a pleasant warm soprano. Also, the Norns in studio verge on sensational - Tatiana Troyanos, Helga Dernesch and Andrea Gruber. Live, it is far less impressive. Christa Ludwig is also Fricka in both performances. She is in better shape in studio, where her characterization is even richer than for Solti. Live, she takes a while to get warm in The Valkyrie - but the part works wonderfully for her anyway. She is also an urgent Waltraute. The situation involving tenors is more complex. Let’s start with Siegmund, sung by Gary Lakes in both performances. His is a powerful bright and big voice that works without much problems. He is not the most creative of singers, but he has no problems with the part and that is already something. In studio, Siegfried Jerusalem sings only the role of Loge - something he does with freshness of tone and without exaggerations. Live, not only does he sing Froh, but also Siegfried. The experience was not very positive for him when this was recorded. His voice is very stressed and, in Götterdämmerung, he is almost at the ends of his resources at the end of the evening. He is a good actor, though. I should say that I saw him singing Siegfried in the opera with his name at the Met some years after this recording and he was quite better than here. In studio, the role of Siegfried is taken by Reiner Goldberg. Although his material is more suited to Siegfried than Jerusalem’s in theory, Goldberg’s technique is too irregular for comfort - and the tone is not pleasing. Although Zednik sings Mime both in studio and live, he sings Loge only in studio. As always, he is completely reliable in these roles and avoids exaggeration - his acting is top class too. Ekkehard Wlaschiha is Alberich in both performances - his voice is strong and expressive, but he uses under the note attack for effects. James Morris is again Wotan - his voice was less velvety than for Haitink, but his experience with the role makes the performance more interesting. His use of mezza voce is also admirable. In both performances, there are great singers in all kind of roles, such as Kurt Moll, Matti Salminen and Kathlen Battle. The stage production in the live performances (available on DVD) has the advantage of being a completely traditional one. It is a very efficient one concerning costumes and sceneries, but the singers are poorly directed. I dislike the fussy camera angles too.

Barenboim’s videos from Bayreuth were a good surprise for many Wagnerians. First of all, Teldec’s recorded sound is simply splendid - with a richness of sound and clarity in impressive levels. The Bayreuth orchestra is in marvelous shape and Barenboim’s conducting takes much after the example of Furtwängler. Of course, in the moments where the conductor’s imagination can be everything, he does not measure with the famous German conductor and the phrasing could have clearer articulation, but it is an overall impressive feat. Although the cast is far from brilliant, it is very efficient all the way. Anne Evans is a lyric vulnerable Brünnhilde. She sings the role with youthful tone and her approach is rewardingly fresh. Nadine Secunde’s Sieglinde lacks light and magic - but her approach to the role tends to re-inforce the character’s lacklustre suffering nature. It is sung in firmest tone, it must be said. Linda Finnie is indifferent as Fricka, though. Poul Elming is also quite disappointing as Siegmund - his tone lacks focus and his top notes are too difficult. However, Siegfried Jerusalem was in top form for the role. He is not very subtle, but the voice is bright and powerful here. However, the main tenor performance here is Graham Clark as Loge and Mime. His tenor tone is piercing, but strain-free and he sings the role with imagination and without exaggerations. Günther von Kannen is also a rich voiced Alberich, but John Tomlinson’s firm heroic bass calls all attention with his intense performance as Wotan. It goes without saying that his top notes are not very easy, but his singing is impressive by any standards. Calling the stage "modern" now in the XXIst century would be imprecise - most of its self-called "modern" features are out-of-date now, such as the overuse of laser lights, Wotan and Brünnhilde looking like Hell’s Angels, Loge looking like Rutger Hauer in Blade Runner etc... Some ideas are still very nice, though, such as Alberich as a nuclear "scientist". The actors’ direction is very problematic - they are made to look and act quite silly most of the time - this is a pity since almost everybody in the cast acts very well. Jerusalem’s accomplishment of the strong physical demands made on him in Siegfried is quite impressive, for example.

Sawallisch’s recording was released both in CD and in video, although the recorded sound in DVD is superior to the CDs, in which you have to listen to it in a very high volume and it still lacks focus. Considering some improbable camera effects, it seems that the performances have been recorded in an empty theatre, which may account for René Kollo's amazing freshness of tone in the end of Götterdämmerung. Using the word "kapellmeisterlich" for Sawallisch here would seem mean in my opinion, since we used it for Haitink. I think Sawallisch’s imagination and sense of structure are superior to the Dutch conductor’s. But the fact is that, at this stage of his career, he no longer had the strength to deal with this project. As a result of it, his control over the musicians is slack and the final product is very irregular - even the fine Bavarian Opera orchestra is not at its best. Hildegard Behrens is again Brünhilde and her dealing with singing the role live improved from Levine’s video. The problems are the same, but it seems that she learned to see to them better in the meanwhile. Julia Varady’s Sieglinde is very problematic - she has troubles with her chest register and this results in too much unfocused singing. On the other hand, Marjana Lipovsek’s Fricka is impressive. Robert Schunk’s light tenor could have been used to Siegmund some decades ago. Here, although he starts rather well, it degenerates a lot during the performance. At the end of act I, he is desperately tired. René Kollo’s Siegfried depends on your degree of congeniality with him. He has some trouble with what he has to sing by the time of this performance and resorts to tricks to deal with most part of the problems, but it is an extrovert and congenial performance. Robert Tear’s Loge is efficient, but rather calculated both vocally and interpretatively to my taste. Helmut Pampuch’s casting as Mime was a sad idea - he was definitely past his best here. Wlaschiha’s Alberich is consistent to his performances at the Met, but Robert Hale, despite the fact that the role is an inch bigger than his voice, has an attractive tone and a nice range. Matti Salminen is a bit unfocused as Hagen and the Gibichungen are definitely frustrating. The staging lacks purpose in a general way - it is a blended of half-ideas, incompatible styles and in the end it means very little. There are too many silly stuff, such as in the Rhinegold being stored in a wardrobe and the Rhinemaids reading comics. However, I think that this is the best staging of Siegmund and Hunding’s fight I have ever seen.

The Stuttgart Ring has individual productions for each opera and different casts too - the only common features being what most may call abusive staging and the conductor Lothar Zagrosek. From the musical point of view, it is certainly worth while listening. Zagrosek is often rhytmically square and strings could have better articulation, but the orchestral sound is crystalline and the balance between brass, woodwind and strings is admirable, resulting not only in amazing vertical clarity but also extra harmonic richness. Seasoned Wagnerians may found the approach rather shallow - rubato is used with economy, for instance. Although you won't find golden age vocalism here, this is an interesting opportunity to see some singers who often sang Wagnerian roles in Europe in the 1990's and who couldn't make it to record studios. There are three Brünnhildes: Renate Behle's Martha-Mödl-like soprano is the most accomplished, since Lisa Gasteen's youthful rich tone is a bit light for the role and may sound raw under pressure and Luana deVol's tone is far from appealing, although she is - to say the truth - the only real hoch dramatisch voice in this cycle. Both Siegfrieds offer interesting performances and certainly are strong competition to their rivals on video. Jon Frideric West has the taylor-made Heldentenor for Siegfried and goes to the end of the opera in complete possession of his resources. Truth be said - his voice is far from pleasant. Albert Bonnema's tenor is a bit tight and hard, especially in the upper reachers, but the tone is natural and he is more at ease than most tenors in this difficult part. In Die Walküre, Angela Denoke is a light feminine Sieglinde, singing with utmost affection, and Robert Gambill's handsome lightweight tenor takes beautifully to melodic lines, but looses focus in the heroic moments. When it comes to Wotan, none of the three singers are really commendable. Wolfgang Probst is unstable and wobbly and Jan-Hendrik Rootering lacks tone, sounding gruff and woolly most of the time. Only Wolfgang Schöne sounds like the father of gods (or the Godfather, according to these productions), but he is also quite rusty. Minor roles tends to be well taken, but some key parts are given to problematic singers, such as Esa Ruuttunen's dry-voiced Alberich in Rheingold. When it comes to the productions, the idea seems to be irreverence. Wagner's scence instructions are massively disobeyed and too often what one sees has nothing to do with what characters are saying. This alone is reason enough to disqualify those stagings. Das Rheingold and Die Walküre are especially problematic, since one cannot really see the point of what is being done. Siegfried and Götterdämmerung, staged respectively by Jossie Wieler/Sergio Morabito and Peter Konwitschny, at least seem to have a concept, which appears to be making fun of Wagner's libretto. It often is quite funny (sometimes unwittingly so), but I don't know if this is the sort of thing I would come often back to.

 

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~Parsifal

1 - Waltraud Meier (Kundry), Siegfried Jerusaalem (Parsifal), Günther von Kannen (Klingsor), José van Dam (Amfortas), Matthias Höhle (Gurnemanz), Berliner Philharmoniker, Daniel Barenboim

2 - Waltraud Meier (Kundry), Poul Elming (Parrsifal), Günther von Kannen (Klingsor), Falk Struckmann (Amfortas), John Tomlison (Gurnemanz), Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel Barenboim

3 - Gwyneth Jones (Kundry), James King (Parsifal), Donald McIntyre (Klingsor), Thomas Stewart (Amfortas), Franz Crass (Gurnemanz), Bayreuther Festspiel, Pierre Boulez

4 - Yvonne Minton (Kundry), Reiner Goldberg ((Parsifal), Aage Haugland (Klingsor), Wolfgang Schöne (Amfortas), Robert Lloyd (Gurnemanz), Philharmonique de Monte Carlo, Armin Jordan

5 - Dunja Vejzovic (Kundry), Peter Hofmann (PParsifal), Siegmund Nimsgern (Klingsor), José van Dam (Amfortas), Kurt Moll (Gurnemanz), Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan

6 - Elisabeth Höngen/Christa Ludwig (Kunndry), Fritz Uhl (Parsifal), Walter Berry (Klingsor), Eberhard Wächter (Amfortas), Hans Hotter (Gurnemanz), Wiener Staatsoper, Herbert von Karajan

7 - Martha Mödl (Kundry), Wolfgang Windggassen (Parsifal), Hermann Uhde (Klingsor), George London (Amfortas), Ludwig Weber (Gurnemanz), Bayreuther Festspiel, Hans Knappertsbusch

8 - Irene Dalis (Kundry), Jess Thomas (Parsifal), Gustav Neidlinger (Klingsor), George London (Amfortas), Hans Hotter (Gurnemanz), Bayreuther Festspiel, Hans Knappertsbusch

9 - Yvonne Minton (Kundry), James King (Parsiifal), Franz Mazura (Klingsor), Bernd Weikl (Amfortas), Kurt Moll (Gurnemanz), Bayerische Rundfunk, Rafael Kubelik

10 - Jessye Norman (Kundry), Plácido Doomingo (Parsifal), Ekkehard Wlaschiha (Klingsor), James Morris (Amfortas), Kurt Moll (Gurnemanz), Metropolitan Opera, James Levine

11 - Waltraud Meier (Kundry), Siegfried Jerusalem (Parsifal), Franz Mazura (Klingsor), Bernd Weikl (Amfortas), Kurt Moll (Gurnemanz), Metropolitan Opera, James Levine

12 - Linda Watson (Kundry), Poul Elming (Parsiifal), Ekkehard Wlashiha (Klingsor), Falk Struckmann (Amfortas), Hans Sotin (Gurnemanz), Bayreuther Festspiele, Giuseppe Sinopoli

13 - Christa Ludwig (Kundry), René Kollo (Parsifal), Zoltan Keleman (Klingsor), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Amfortas), Gottlob Frick (Gurnemanz), Wiener Philharmoniker, Georg Solti

14 - Eva Randová (Kundry), Siegfried Jerusalem (Parsifal), Leif Roar (Klingsor), Bernd Weikl (Amfortas), Hans Sotin (Gurnemanz), Bayreuther Festspiel, Horst Stein

Parsifal, the last opera by Richard Wagner, aims far more than musical theatre. The composer himself called it a "sacred" stage work. The ambitious goal settled here is not only a matter of libretto - a powerful and sophisticated plot involving the fundamental symbols of western culture - but also of music. But, before entering the musical ideas, let’s dwell a bit more on the text.

The main problem about Parsifal is its interpreters. Everybody has tried to "frame" Parsifal - a Jungian work, a Christian work, an allegory of racial purification, the story of the lessening of individual face to society - all those labels, from the silliest to the most serious only render Parsifal an ill service. The main quality of this work is being so wide-ranging and any attempt to delimitate it is unwelcome. Musically, one could arguably claim that this is Wagner’s best opera. Its structural stregths are similar to Tristan’s and the thematic material is characterful enough both to create a sound universe peculiar to this work but also to entice listeners and keep them aware of what is going on in the musical mainframe. Its particular quality is the wonderful sense of tempo and momentum. Even the change of sceneries in act I gets fabulous music.

As one could expect from such a work, although some of the roles are vocally demanding, the main challenge for singers in this opera is the necessary "spiritual" qualities demanded by Wagner in order to give life to these characters. Because of the practically incompatible vocal qualities required by the role, Kundry is certainly the most difficult in the opera. It is a role too high for mezzos and too low for sopranos and not only power and weight are necessary, but also the ability of depicting contrasted dramatic postures while keeping accurate to the score. Parsifal is far less difficult a role - and almost any tenor with a big or projecting enough voice can deal with it. However, a youthful tone makes the role more believable. The role of Klingsor is generally given to a baritone, but bass-baritones have dealt with it. The difficulty here is avoiding "bad guy" clichés. In the other hand, the role of Amfortas, also disputed by baritones and bass-baritones, is a most demanding role, where the singer has to deal with a widest dramatic and musical range. However, the central role to the opera certainly is Gurnemanz - the "narrator" of off-stage events in acts I and III. As the part is rather long and has to describe things "in the voice" as a Lieder singer, but having to deal with a wagnerian orchestra, it is very hard to cast.

Barenboim’s Parsifal on CD follows the rule of his recorded performances for this label. The recorded sound is amazing, enabling a richest orchestral sound while keeping clarity, Barenboim’s reading tends to adopt more spacious tempi and a wealth of string sounds. The idea is something between Kna and Furt, but inspiration is not there most of the time. The Berlin Philharmonic is in very good shape, offering the kind of sound power rare since the Karajan days. Waltraud Meier is in good shape as Kundry, although the tone itself is not glamourous. Siegfried Jerusalem could be described in the same way, although his role is less difficult for him than Meier’s is for her. Günther von Kannen is a characterful Klingsor, but he is a bass cast in a baritone role. José van Dam repeats his strong points from the Karajan recording, but without Karajan, his approach seems a bit tame. Matthias Höhle is, as a matter of fact, the less interesting singer in the cast. . He seems quite shallow in the role in a general way. There is also Barenboim’s video from Staatsoper unter den Linden. I find the conducting more convincing there, maybe because the Staatskapelle Berlin is a more focused orchestra and the acoustics are drier or also because the stage action gives more inspiration to Barenboim. Teldec also guarantees that everything sounds its best and the clearest possible. I dislike this "technologic" view of Parsifal - especially when it looks ugly as it does. If you’re interested in see one of Waltraud’s tits through a transparent dress - then you’ll find an interest in this staging. Maybe because she is already exposed enough, exposed top notes cause her lots of problem here - they’re strained and often flat. I didn’t think her act II is the most convincing I have ever seen. The fact that Poul Elming really should learn the meaning of "top note" also gets things more complicate - he is unable to sing a role almost every other tenor in the Wagner repertoire sings. Live circumstances are not very helpful to Günther von Kannen and Struckmann works better in the outspoken moments. Although he has a strong voice, it is not very beautiful and lacks some firmness. This is supposed to be Tomlinson’s debut in the role of Gurnemanz. Of course he has a solid voice for the role, but he never was a Lieder singer.

Pierre Boulez disciplinarian view of Wagner conducting has been rejected by some more traditional wagnerites. However, it features a sophisticated structural understanding, and the level of accuracy in the orchestral phrasing - especially from the rhythmic point-of-view - is revelatory, particularly in Act II, one of the most exciting ever. Tempi tend to be faster (this fits in 3 CDs) and the recorded sound is sensationally natural - there is a real theatrical atmosphere here. My only complaint is about the sound of the bells - they are somehow unconvincing. Gwyneth Jones’s Kundry is simply amazing. Her ease with top notes, rhythmic and declamatory accuracy and sophisticated use of dynamics and tone colouring make this one of the most interesting Wagnerian performances ever commited to recording. She is a fury in one moment and a complete seductress in the next second. Just sample her "Nur eine Stunde mein, nur eine Stunde dein - und des Weges sollst du geleitet sein". When you have such a Kundry, things are more difficult for Parsifal. However, James King was not only in strong voice, but is working at 100% dramatic powers. His level of commitment makes for a completely convincing performance, even if his dark tone doesn’t suggest a young man. McIntyre is his usual self - commited and intelligent, even if the voice is far from glamourous - and Thomas Stewart, although not in his best shape, is in total control of what is asked of him in a role natural for his voice. On the other hand, Franz Crass, in spite of a beautiful voice and comfort in a wide tessitura, lacks imagination in a role where this is everything.

Jordan’s performance, probably the one made closer to Spain (the real setting of the opera, believe it or not) on disc, is far better than one could think at first sight. He is in full control of the Monte Carlo Philharmonic and deals with his more animated tempi in an undemonstrative manner, displaying well-thought phrasing throughout. In a nutshell, a delectable performance. It was used as a soundtrack in for the Syberberg film, which features some of the singers (Haugland and Lloyd) as actors. Although the images are quite ugly (the sceneries and costumes look amateurish) and there is too much Jungian things going on here (such as a boy and a girl playing Parsifal sometimes at the same time, while Reiner Goldberg’s voice doesn’t match with either...), there IS some genuine insight going on here and Edith Clever’s acting as Kundry is first rate. Not to get familiar with the work or to watch everyday, but one should definitely watch it. Although the role is on paper desperately heavy for her voice, Yvonne Minton adapts every difficulty into an advantage and produces a very decent Kundry. Reiner Goldberg is also in excellent voice - probably his best recording. Aage Haugland was an odd choice for Klingsor, once he is a bass. As a result, his top notes are uncomfortable. In the other hand, Wolfgang Schöne, in a role a bit on the heavy side for him, is a good Amfortas. However, the most successful piece of casting here is Robert Lloyd’s Gurnemanz. He was in splendid voice and sings with utmost sensitivity. A good reference for the role.

The Karajan recording is deservedly labelled a classic. Here Karajan’s hallmark - rich and exquisite orchestral sound - makkes for an overwhelming experience. Tempi are luxuriously slow and dinamics extreme, but not artifficially so as in his EMI recordings. Also, the spaciousness of the acoustics are impressive. Of course, it is seriously lacking in naturality, but - in this from all operas -it helps to give the idea that the unworldly is being revealed to our ears. One could also say that there is little sense of theatre - that’s a valid point, but the "sacred" seems to be the element on which Karajan seems to concentrate. Although Dunja Vejzovic’s voice has technical limitations here and there, she is at her 100% best here. The tone has a certain sensuousness and her ease with mezza voce is everything Karajan would ask of her anyway. Peter Hofmann’s tenor has its throaty and muscular moments, but it is not disturbingly ugly. Only he would be happier with faster tempi. Siegmund Nimsgern is a histrionic Klingsor and José van Dam is taylor-made for Karajan’s purposes - he seems to delight in slower tempi in order to display his Lieder singer talents. Kurt Moll makes similar use of the tempi - only he is - in exclusively vocal standards - more impressive than van Dam.

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Recently, Opera d’Oro and RCA released Karajan’s live from Vienna from the 60’s - which is far livelier than this one, desppite the less than perfect sonics with singers closely recorded and a somewhat distant orchestra. Also, the less spacious recording and more transparent orchestral sound result that one important dimension of Karajan’s approach, the richness of sound, is lost. Nevertheless, the Vienna State Orchestra is in flexible form for Karajan’s faster tempi, especially in act II, where a wonderful balance between flowing phrasing and articulation is reached. The cast is weird throughout. First of all, there are two Kundrys. Kundry the penitent is Elisabeth Höngen, who was not in the top of her powers by then, but has charisma, while Kundry the temptress is lusciouly sung by Christa Ludwig, less precise than in the studio, but in splendid vocal shape. Fritz Uhl, in the other hand, is a convincing Parsifal and his voice is quite pleasing. Walter Berry is an energetic Klingsor and he was also in very good voice. Although Eberhard Wächter’s tone is a bit light for his role, he compensates with his usual vehemence. Hans Hotter clearly has the necessary Lieder singer quality for Gurnemanz, but the tone has its peculiarities. In Act 1, it seems that a part of the original tapes is missing and another performance was used to fill in the blank - it seems that Jerome Hines is Gurnemanz, Martha Mödl, Kundry and the conductor is Knappertsbusch there.

If you are a fan of Kna’s, then I recommend you to procede straight to Olivier’s text about Knappertsbusch and Bayreuth, since you won’t find lots of nice adjectives here. In order to be honest, I don’t believe in his artistry at all. I think someone who doesn’t rehearse and doesn’t move a lot on conducting is actually doing nothing but staying there and earning some money. Of course, when you are dealing with the best singers and orchestras in the world, things would work even without anyone to mark the beat - or, at least, more or less. And that is what we get here - more or less. Things work when they couldn’t get wrong and, when they have the slightest possibility of getting wrong, they do get wrong. Also, tempi seem to be ruled by whim or chance and mistakes abound everywhere. However, reviewers love to say there is a spiritual quality here, maybe my mediunic powers are very poor and I cannot "sense" it. Next time I’ll try with a oui-ja board or something like that. Kna’s 51 performance is called "historic", but I guess the idea was the "historical" fact of Bayreuth re-opening after the war. People were very prone to get moved and wrote about it and some other people who weren’t there repeat it was "an event". Basically, it is veeeeeery sloooooow and that doesn’t help his singers very much. First of all, Martha Mödl’s version of a temptress is something that definitely would have propelled Parsifal to an all-male society. It is s-c-a-r-y. Basically, she shouts herself out in a level where the western note system makes very little sense. Also, note values make very little sense. Reviewers tend to say that: a) she expresses the tortured nature of Kundry as nobody else does (I think she express the tortured nature of her own vocal folds); b) she expresses the myth of primal femininity as nobody else (if "primal femininity" means a woman in a crisis of appendicitis ). There is also Wolfgang Windgassen’s famous Parsifal. Compared to Mödl, of course, it is a vocal display, but in his own value it is a decent piece of singing, although precision and ease are not the nouns associated to it. Basically, the voice never sounds to be getting out of his throat without some problem involved, but - yes - he sounds boyish and this is nice. The rest of the cast is really interesting, though. Hermann Uhde is a bit overkilling his Klingsor, but it has some vigour and George London was in top of his powers for a vocally impressive Amfortas. Last but not least, Ludwig Weber’s dark bass causes some impression as Gurnemanz and he is more intense than most in the role.

Now, when it comes to the 1962, although the mistakes and inconsistencies are all there, I do think it is a quite listenable recording. At least there is more of an "approach" here, without the idea that "approach" means "very slow". The drama is more focused and within the limits of musicianly performing. Also, the sound, not only because it is stereo, is far more pleasant than the 1951, presenting a more intimate quality. The basic sound of Irene Dalis’s voice is quite pleasing - it’s bright and rich and also sexy. As with any mezzo soprano, the top gets her to her limits, but it’s far from disturbing. On the contrary, it is a congenial performance. Also, Jess Thomas is very commited and his penetrating Heldentenor makes for some striking moments. An experienced Alberich, Gustav Neidlinger takes profit of his experience in that role to produce an interesting Klingsor, while George London is still a compelling Amfortas. When it comes to Hans Hotter, the old problem is here - provided you can put up with his vocal mannerisms, there are many examples of his imagination going on here. Finally, I would like the Bayreuth performance (1960, I think) with Régine Crespin’s excellent Kundry and Thomas Stewart to be released one of those days. I only could listen to tiny bits of it, all of them with Crespin, and I found that she adapted wonderfully to his tempi, with her usual extra verbal specificity and sophisticated use of vocal colouring - not to mention that it is incredibly seductive.

Read Olivier's review of Kubelik's Parsifal.

Levine’s recording from the Met shares some problems with Kna’s recordings. First of all, it slow beyond salvation. Although the Met orchestra is generally not in the level of the Bayreuth band, it is so wonderfully recorded here, that it actually sounds as a great orchestra. I have to say that the Verwandlungmusik sounds gorgeous with such an overwhelming recorded sound. However, I think that no-one sees anything "spiritual" here, maybe because it wasn’t the re-opening of anything. Somehow, Kna’s whims actually put some interest in his tempi. But Levine’s conducting is so regular that you loose interest as time goes by. It’s quite predictable after a while. Jessye Norman is an interesting Kundry. Maybe Olivier is going to disagree with me, but I find a French quality in her performance. Maybe because it has a light, flowing and elegant quality. Most of all, she sustains admirably the slow tempi and is always musicianly about what she is singing. It is a bit artifficial after all, but it is original somehow. The top notes at the end of act II are a bit challenging for her, though. I don’t know what to say about Plácido Domingo’s Parsifal in this performance. I know that later it became quite a nice impersonation. With Muti at La Scala, he showed how he developed his ideas. But here it is so lacking in unity in every sense - musical, linguistic, dramatic. I found it very unconvincing. His voice, of course, is in very good shape. Ekkehard Wlaschiha’s Klingsor is echt Wlaschiha - firm tone, a bit hard and lots of off-pitch and parlando effects. James Morris, on the other hand, is all legato as Amfortas and his voice offers a grand scale of the role, quite in the way London used to do, but he lacks the firmness of his predecessor and is a bit generalized too. Kurt Moll is experienced in slow tempi in this opera, but his voice was more imposing at Karajan’s. There is also a video from the Met, where Levine’s tempi are closer to ideal - atmosphere and clarity available in equal shares and the recorded sound is simply amazing, at least on DVD. It is a pity that he doesn’t have a better chorus, though. Waltraud Meier is in excellent voice and sings expressively too. Unfortunately, Siegfried Jerusalem is dry of voice here. Franz Mazura Dr.Schön-like Klingsor is disastrous, but he looks quite repulsive in his role. Bernd Weikl was also not in very good voice. There are some problems about pitch going on here too. Finally, Kurt Moll repeats his sucessful Gurnemanz. The staging is very unimaginative and there should be more magic in Klingsor’s garden.

Solti’s recording is deservedly called a classic. Everything works more than well - singing, playing and conducting. Parsifal is the kind of work that put Solti’s early style in perspective. So, his overemphatic style is tamed and, most of all, his lack of "spiritual aims" with the work makes that musical values are kept untouched in a refreshing way. Also, the transparence of the Vienna Philharmonic strings adds a magic quality to the performance. When Christa Ludwig recorded Kundry in the studio, it was the beginning of a serious vocal crisis for her. And the fact that Solti made her shout and shout and shout until he got satisfied with her Kundry screams (although they still sound like the "operatic diva scream #4") only made it worse. Sure, it is a seductive performance and she is in strong voice, but she is not at ease with the top notes and had to force them a bit. René Kollo is quite successful as Parsifal: he does sound like a young man and is in his best vocal behaviour. Zoltan Kéléman is an incisive Klingsor, with his bright and high baritone used to good purpose. Then, there is Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau’s Amfortas. He is in good voice here, but the F-D haters will find plenty of material to accuse him of affectation and lightness of tone. Gottlob Frick was 64 when he recorded it and the voice is not in its most flexible and varied, but he gives his heart and soul to the role. Many accuse Solti of not helping his cast with his inflexible phrasing, but I think that they do the best of it and it keeps a sense of forward movement, very important in the outer acts of this opera.

Stein’s performance in Bayreuth is quite an unimpressive affair and maybe that is what I like about it. Stein’s conducting is never the most imaginative, but he keeps things going in a natural way and without much fussing in things that work well unfussed, for example the scenes in the Graal temple, where not only Bayreuth’s excellent choir but also the transparent orchestral sound are of great help. However, act II is not the most exciting and a sense of forward movement is sorely missing. It is also helpful to see such an unfussed production, without nuclear weapons, brothels etc. The scenes in the temple, thoroughly rehearsed, have real sense of gravitas, but the act II garden is so ugly that, when Parsifal dispells Klingsor’s magic, he actually does us a favour. Poorly dressed and directed, Eva Randová is a commited Kundry, although there are many examples of unstylish phrasing in the performance. Siegfried Jerusalem, on the other hand, is in freshest voice and offers an boyish Parsifal, not entirely rich toned but phrasing more cleanly than in his next recording. Leif Roar is routine as Klingsor, but Weikl here is in powerful voice and offers a sensitive Amfortas. Sotin has a good voice for Gurnemanz and he sings well, although it is not the most creative thing in the world.

Last but not least, I ask Olivier’s permission to quote from an e-mail from him of August, 1999, to produce a paragraph about Sinopoli’s performance, unavailable in 99% of the world (why Unitel is making such a fuss? EVERYBODY is waiting to buy it!). Well, here it is: Sinopoli’s Parsifal is post-modern as conducting, most notably in the preludes of acts II and III, where every dissonance is highlighted in a way closer to Berg or Stravinsky. In other moments, the approach is rather impressionistic, with richness of woodwind and close attention ot orchestral details. However, it is quite annoying when he adopts ralentando effects right in the middle of a motive or melodic passage which would work far better unbothered. The tempi tend to be slow - it takes 10 minutes more than Solti - but one doesn’t notice that while listening. It is a beautiful and original performance, closer to Boulez than to Krauss, and it is really worthwhile. The staging is stylized with some beautiful ideas, such as quasi-tropical green forest of act one transformed in a threatening multicolored crystal jungle for act II. Linda Watson has a very homogeneous voice, with easy top notes and she phrases with good taste. The voice lacks a bit colour, but she knows how to inflect her text and it is a rare piece of healthy singing in the Wagnerian repertoire today and she is a good actress. Elming is in very good voice - although it is a bit steely and piercing sometimes. He works better in the outer acts of the opera, though. He is a convincing actor too. Wlaschiha is fairly unimpressive as Klingsor - with a dry voice and lack of ideas about the role. Struckmann has impressive means and intensity for his role, although the vibrato is a bit annoying and the tone is too dark Sotin is past his best as Gurnemanz and there is very little nuance. He survives act I, but is left out of voice in act III, with a worn medium register and short of top and low notes.

 

 

 

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