Classical

Furtwangler Conducting Wagner (5 LP) [1992]

2011-12-16T09:07:57Z

Furtwangler Conducting Wagner (5 LP) [1992]


LP 01
Side 1
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE

1) Vorspiel zum 1. Aufzug
Orchester der Bayreuther Festpiele
Aufgenommen 1931, Bayreuth

2) Vorspiel zum 3. Aufzug
Orchester der Staatsoper Berlin
Aufgenommen 1947, Admiralspalast Berlin

3) Isoldes Liebestod (Konzertfassung)
Stockholms Konsertforenings Orkester
Aufgenommen am 25.11.1942, Stockholm

Side 2
1) Orchestereinleitung zum 2. Aufzug und 1. Auftritt Isolde – Brangane: “Horst du sie noch?”
2) 2. Aufzug, 3. Auftritt: “Tatest du’s wirklich?” bis Finale 2. Aufzug

LP 02
Side 1
1) 3. Aufzug: “Dunkt dich das? Ich weiB e sanders” bis Ende Tristans Tod (gekurzt)
Tristan (Ludwig Suthaus)
Konig Marke (Gottlob Frick)
Isolde (Erna Schluter)
Kurwenal (Jaro Prohaska)
Brangane (Margarete Klose)
Melot (Kurt Rehm)
Hirt (Gerhard Witting)
Orchester der Staatsoper Berlin
Aufgenommen am 3.10.1947, Berlin, Admiralspalast

Side 2
LOHENGRIN
1) Vorspiel zum 3. Aufzug – Brautchor – “Das suBe Lied verhallt”
2) “Heil Konig Heinrich – Habt Dankt, ihr Lieben von Brabant”
3) “In fernem Land” (Gralserzahlung)
4) “Mein lieber Schwan – Fahr heim! Fahr heim!” (Finale)
Konig Heinrich
Lohengrin (Franz Volker)
Elsa (Margarete Klose)
Ortrud (Margarete Klose)
Chor und Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele
Aufgenommen 1936, Bayreuth

LP 03
Side 1
TANNHAUSER
1) Ouverture
Orchester der Staatsoper Berlin
Aufgenommen 1936, Berlin

2) Fragment aus dem Sangerkrieg auf der Wartburg
Tannhauser (Gotthelf Pistor)
Wolfram (Alexander Sved)
Orchester der Staatsoper Wien
Aufgenommen 1936, Wien

DIE WALKURE
3) Orchestervorspiel zum 3. Aufzug
Orchester des Opernhauses Covent Garden
Aufgenommen 1937, London

Side 2
1) 3. Aufzug (2. Teil)

LP 04
Side 1
1) 3. Aufzug (Finale)
Wotan (Rudolf Bockelmann)
Sieglinde (Maria Muller)
Brunnhilde (Kiraten Flagstad)
Helmwige (Elsa Stenning)
Gerhilde (Mae Carven)
Ortlinde (Thelma Bardsley)
Waltraute (Linda Seymour)
Siegrune (Edith Coates)
Rossweisse (Evelyn Arden)
Grimgerde (Gwladys Garside)
Schwertleite (Gladys Ripley)
Orchester der Opernhauses Covent Garden
Aufgenommen 1937, London

Side 2
PARSIFAL
1) Vorspiel zum 1. Aufzug
Staatskapelle Berlin
Aufgenommen 1940, Berlin

DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NURNBERG
2) “Halt! Meister! Nicht so geeilt!”
3) “Was duftet doch der Flieder – Guten Abend, Meister!”
Hans Sachs (Rudolf Bockelmann)
Veit Pogner (Josef von Manowarda)
Konrad Nachtigall (Erch Burger)
Fritz Kotner (Georg Hann)
Sixtus Beckmesser (Eugen Fuchs)
Eva (Tiana Lemnitz)
Magdalene (Ruth Berglund)
Orchester der Staatsoper Wien
Aufgenommen am 5.9.1938, Nurnberg

LP 05
Side 1
SIEGFRIED
1) Zwischenaktmusik
Staatskapelle Berlin
Aufgenommen 1940, Berlin

GOTTERDAMMERUNG
2) Siegfrieds Rheinfahet
Staatskapelle Berlin
Aufgenommen 1940, Berlin

3) “Brunnhild’, die heerste Frau”
Brunnhilde (Frida Leider)
Siegfried (Lauritz Melchior)
Gunther (Herbert Janssen)
Hagen (Ludwig Weber)
Gutrune (Maria Nezadal)
Orchester des Opernhauses Covent garden
Aufgenommen 1936, London

Side 2
1) “Her den Ring! – Schweigt eures Jammers jauchzenden Schwall – Starke Scheite schichtet mir dort”
Brunnhilde (Kirsten Flagstad)
Gutrune (Maria Nezadal)
Hagen (Ludwig Weber)
Orchester des Opernhauses covent Garden
Aufgenommen am 1.6.1937, London

Orchestra: 
Orchestra Der Bayreuther Festspiele, 
Orchestra Der Staatsoper Berlin, 
Stockholms Konsertforenings Orkester, 
Orchestra Des Opernhauses Covent Garden, 
Staatskapelle Berlin

Conductor: Wilhelm Furtwangler

Wilhelm Furtwängler (January 25, 1886 – November 30, 1954) was a German conductor and composer. He is widely considered to have been one of the greatest symphonic and operatic conductors of the 20th century. By the 1930s he had built a reputation as one of the leading conductors in Europe, and he was the leading conductor who remained in Germany during the Second World War. Although he was never a member of the Nazi party, the morality of his decision to remain working in Germany during this period has been continually debated since his death. However even today, many musicians, critics and record collectors still revere him for his very subjective conducting style, which is often compared and contrasted to the more objective style of Arturo Toscanini, who was probably the most famous conductor at the time. Like Toscanini, Furtwängler was a major influence on many later conductors, and his name is often mentioned when discussing their interpretive style.

At his first concert, he led the Kaim Orchestra (now the Munich Philharmonic) in Anton Bruckner's Ninth Symphony. He subsequently held posts at Munich, Strasbourg, Lübeck, Mannheim, Frankfurt, and Vienna, before securing a job at the Berlin Staatskapelle in 1920, and in 1922 at the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra where he succeeded Arthur Nikisch, and concurrently at the prestigious Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

Furtwängler also made a number of appearances as a conductor abroad. He made his London debut in 1924, and continued to appear there as late as 1938 to conduct a cycle of Richard Wagner's Ring.

Furtwängler is most famous for his performances of Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner, and Wagner. However, he was also a champion of modern music, notably the works of Paul Hindemith and Arnold Schoenberg, and conducted the world premiere of Sergei Prokofiev's Fifth Piano Concerto (with the composer at the piano) on October 31, 1932 as well as performances of Béla Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra.

Furtwängler had a unique conducting technique. He saw symphonic music as creations of nature that could only be realised subjectively into sound. This is why composers such as Beethoven, Brahms and Bruckner were so central to Furtwängler's repertoire, because he identified them as great forces of nature.

Many commentators and critics regard him as the greatest conductor in history. However, on the website Classics Today, critic David Hurwitz, a spokesman for modern literalism and precision, sharply criticizes what he terms "the Furtwangler wackos" who "will forgive him virtually any lapse, no matter how severe", and characterizes the conductor himself as "occasionally incandescent but criminally sloppy". ---wikipedia

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Richard Wagner - Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman) (2015)

2016-03-12T17:08:26Z

Richard Wagner - Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman) (2015)


1. The Flying Dutchman			2:22:24

The Dutchman - Bryn Terfel
Senta - Adrianne Pieczonka
Erik - Michael König
Daland - Peter Rose
Steersman - Ed Lyon
Mary - Catherine Wyn-Rogers
Royal Opera Chorus
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Andris Nelsons - Conductor

24 February 2015, Royal Opera House

The Story

The Flying Dutchman has been cursed for eternity. Once every seven years he is allowed to come ashore to seek redemption. He may have found it in Senta, a woman who longs for escape from her dreary life.

Senta accepts the Dutchman's offer of marriage. But the Dutchman wrongly suspects her of unfaithfulness. Thinking he's protecting her, he leaves to resume his endless voyaging. Senta is left alone.

Background

Shortly before the premiere of Der fliegende Holländer in Dresden, Wagner had returned from a deeply unsuccessful two-year stint in Paris. He had gone there to make his fortune, but found his way barred by a strict class-based system. One of the bitterest blows came when Léon Pillet, director of the Paris Opéra, accepted his libretto for Der fliegende Holländer – but then commissioned a score not from Wagner but from French composer Pierre-Louis Dietsch. But the Dresden premieres of first Rienzi in October 1842 and Der fliegende Holländer in January 1843 were immense successes, and marked the beginning of Wagner's career as one of the greatest operatic composers.

Tim Albery's Olivier-nominated production for The Royal Opera delves deep into the psychology of Wagner's cursed wanderer and his beloved Senta, detailing the monomania and uncompromising idealism that finally drives them apart. Michael Levine's elemental single set is dominated by a rolling metal hull that represents the Dutchman's phantom ship, the poverty of Senta's home and the treacherous sea. ---roh.org.uk

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Richard Wagner - Die Feen (The Fairies) (1983)

2019-06-29T13:37:24Z

Richard Wagner - Die Feen (The Fairies) (1983)

CD 1
01. Ouverture
02. Feengarten Introduktion (Chor der Feen)
03. Rezitativ (Farzana, Zemina) – Chor der Geister und Feen
04. Wilde Ein.de mit Felsen Szene und Rezitativ (Gunther, Morald, Gernot) – Gerno
05. Arie (Arindal)
06. Rezitativ (Gernot, Arindal)
07. Romanze (Gernot)
08. Quartet (Arindal, Gunther, Gernot, Morald) Finale I
09. Rezitativ (Arindal)
10. Feengarten mit gl.nzendem Palast Cavatina (Ada)
11. Rezitativ und Duet (Ada, Arindal)
12. Szene (Ensemble und Chor)

CD 2
01. Introduktion (Chor der Krieger und des Volkes, Lora)
02. Arie (Lora) – Szene (Bote, Lora, Chor)
03. Chor und Terzett (Lora, Arindal, Morald)
04. Rezitativ (Gernot, Gunther) – Duett (Drolla, Gernot)
05. Rezitativ (Ada, Farzana, Zemina)
06. Szene und Arie (Ada)
07. Finale II (Chor des Volkes und der Krieger, Lora, Drolla, Arindal, Gunther)

CD 3
01. Introduktion (Chor, Morald, Lora, Drolla, Gunther, Gernot)
02. Szene und Arie (Arindal)
03. Szene (Stimmen Adas und Gromas; Farzana, Zemina)
04. Terzett (Arindal, Farzana, Zemina)
05. Szene (Chor der Erdgeister, Arindal, Farzana, Zemina, Gromas Stimme, Chor von
06. Schlussszene (Feenk.nig, Arinda, Chor der Feen und Geister)

Der Feenkönig – Kurt Moll (bass)
Ada – Linda Esther Gray (soprano)
Farzana – Kari Lövaas (soprano)
Zemina – Krisztina Laki (soprano)
Arindal – John Alexander (tenor)
Lora – June Anderson  (soprano)
Morald – Roland Hermann (baritone)
Gernot – Jan-Hendrik Rootering (bass)
Drolla – Cheryl Studer (soprano)
Gunther – Norbert Orth (tenor)
Harald – Karl Helm (bass)
Ein Bote – Fried Lenz
Die Stimme Des Zauberers Groma – Roland Bracht

Chor Des Bayrischen Rundfunks
Symphonieorchester Des Bayrischen Rundfunks
Conductor – Wolfgang Sawallisch

Wagner was 20 years old when he composed Die Feen (The Fairies), and it is worth a listen. Here’s a bit of Weber (Oberon and Freischütz); a hint of Mozart (Zauberflöte); an effect from Beethoven’s Fidelio. Choruses are plentiful and impressive, and there is coloratura writing for the soloists ( remember, Wagner was enamored of Bellini at this point in his life). The fantastic plot has elements of the Orpheus myth in Act 3, when our tenor hero, Arindal, with harp accompaniment, brings his soprano wife, Ada, back to life through the magic of music. When he originally meets her, she is in the form of a doe; he, a mortal prince, is permitted into her world of shape-shifting fairies, providing he not ask her who she is for eight years. He cannot help himself and she is taken from him. The opera itself is concerned with them returning to one another. Shades of Lohengrin; shades of immortality through music (Wagner himself). Oh yes, and redemption through love.

The plot is sick with incantations and transformations and is better off left alone. Some of the music winds up in Rienzi (bits in the overture; parts of the first-act finale) and there are hints of other operas as well. The work is just shy of three hours; Wagner revised it in the following year but it was never performed in his lifetime (its premiere was in 1888, five years after his death). Despite some exciting ensemble work sprinkled throughout, lengthy periods of exclamation and explanation wear it down. One listen should be enough. Wagner gave the score to King Ludwig of Bavaria when the latter became his patron; it was later given to Hitler and is believed to have perished with him in his bunker in 1945. ---Robert Levine, classicstoday.com

On the evidence of Die Feen, Richard Wagner at twenty was already a dramatist. His score is startling in its freedom from convention. The standard view of Wagner's development is that he moved from early conformity — adherence to the formulaic aria structure and tunefulness of Romantic-era opera — to a more fluid, open, unpredictable style more dependent on text. But this precocious 1833 work finds him already breaking traditional molds and — while skillful in details such as orchestration — not especially adept at, or interested in, sustained melody such as we find in the early 1840s in Holländer or even Rienzi.

He was also juggling multiple influences in Die Feen — Gluck, Mozart, Beethoven, Weber and, not least, Heinrich August Marschner (1795–1861), a composer who affected both Wagner's choice of fantastical subject matter and his irregular, through-composed musical structure. While we recognize a cavatina here and a cabaletta there, as models or points of departure, their realization is intermittent, sometimes camouflaged and distorted. Weber-style climaxes with multiple scalar passages are broken by sustained, anarchic high notes that unsettle the harmony and the period style. Often the promise of song gives way to dramatic events and reactions; the goal seems always to be excitement. The prevailing vocal mode is accompanied recitative, restless in tonality and especially tempo, interrupted rather than supported by instrumental gestures, and somewhat overheated in manner even for this lurid libretto of repeated moral tests (anticipating Lohengrin) and revolving-door metamorphoses. The composer wrote his own text, based on plays by Carlo Gozzi.

But all is not sturm und drang. Another arresting innovation is the mostly skillful arioso style, blending recitative and melody. (There's even comic relief in the Act II reunion of two lovers long separated by war, a Papageno–Papagena style exercise.) Young Wagner also maintains interest with his instrumentation, often with flute coloring, which is sometimes said to derive from Marschner as well. The chorus gets opportunities for rousing finales (though never very extensive) and brief interaction, sometimes cross-cut by recitative. One fascinating moment comes in the elaborate a cappella passage in Act III for five principals and chorus, a fine example of vocal counterpoint that extends without accompaniment for thirty-six measures. Arindal's Act III music includes two winning solos, a brief scene of delusion ("Hallo! Lasst alle Hunde los") and then, following the sudden recovery of his senses, a lyrical appeal to the gods, with harp accompaniment, to spare Ada, the heroine, who has been (temporarily) turned to stone.

One mark of continuity with the mature Wagner is the taxing vocal writing, which requires the services of a dramatic tenor and two stalwart sopranos of considerable range. (An often brilliant performance recorded under Wolfgang Sawallisch in 1983 had John Alexander, June Anderson and Cheryl Studer in the cast.) ---David J. Baker, operanews.com

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Richard Wagner - Lohengrin (2016)

2017-02-14T16:12:49Z

Richard Wagner - Lohengrin (2016)


1. Act I
2. Act II
3. Act III

Elsa von Brabant – Anna Netrebko
Lohengrin - Piotr Beczala
Ortrud - Evelyn Herlitzius
Friedrich von Telramund - Tomasz Konieczny
Der Heerrufer des Königs - Derek Welton
Heinrich der Vogler - Georg Zeppenfeld
Sächsische Staatsopernchor
Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden
Christian Thielemann – conductor

22 may 2016, Semperoper Dresden, Germany

Halfway through the second act of Lohengrin in Dresden, as Anna Netrebko began to sing Elsa’s “Euch Lüften, die mein Klagen” this seasoned and somewhat jaded operagoer felt her eyes moisten with tears; tears of joy and gratitude. It has been a long time since the sheer beauty of a voice touched me so deeply. Essaying her first Wagner heroine, Netrebko not only brought her rich and sonorous soprano to sing Elsa with full-throated and clear brightness, but she also shaded her voice to sing softly. She executed ornamentations skillfully; her legato soared luxuriously; high notes were effortlessly exquisite. Her German diction was clear.

This Elsa was no damsel in distress. Even in Act I, she held her own against her accusers; she was a kind and sympathetic friend to Ortrud in false distress in Act II, and then unleashed her frustration towards Lohengrin in Act III. She was an independent woman who fell in love with a man unable to offer her what she sought: complete trust and openness. Even in this initial outing, it was a unique and thrilling assumption. Netrebko tirelessly unleashed waves of beautiful and continuous sounds; her long breaths made it possible for her to linger luxuriously over her notes – a dream Elsa.

Ms Netrebko and her colleagues were strongly supported by Christian Thielemann and the Staatskapelle Dresden. Mr Thielemann’s conducting showed that he is indeed the foremost Wagnerian conductor today. The prelude was taken at a deliberate tempo, neither too fast nor too slow. The complex unfolding of strings was illuminated with unusual clarity and transparency. Everything flowed organically and naturally; there was no hesitation nor break. Most remarkably, Mr Thielemann signaled the orchestra to bring down the volume for singers. The effect was to create the sense that the voice was literally riding above the instrumental music, clear and free. The singers did not have to force their voice to compete with the orchestra, allowing them to sing softly when required.

Mr Thielemann reserved the most powerful and dynamic playing for preludes and transitional orchestral passages. He often stretched the tempo to bring out subtle nuances and complexities. There were remarkable moments, including brass players from the side boxes.

Two other principals were making role debuts; Piotr Beczała as Lohengrin and Tomasz Konieczny as Telramund. Mr Beczała brought his gleaming voice and elegant Italianate style to good effect as the swan knight. His was a straightforward and honest interpretation, both vocally and dramatically. One might have hoped for a little more variation in tone, some subtlety and soft singing. His voice sometimes got lost during ensembles and one would want a stronger voice that could ride above others and the orchestra. Nevertheless, this was a credible first effort.

Mr Konieczny’s Telramund was the opposite, singing with a variety of volume and color, to characterize the man of false and misguided ambition. The beginning of Act II with Telramund and Ortrud was one of the highlights of the performance, full of tension and drama. Evelyn Herlitzius, with her striking stage presence and committed singing, was the perfect foil for both Konieczny, and later in the act, for Netrebko. Hers is perhaps not the most beautiful voice but it is a powerful one that could cut through the orchestra and could forcefully express the character’s evil. The Elsa-Ortrud duet scene in Act II was another highlight, with Elsa on an elevated windowed platform and Ortrud directly below. Then the two women came together on stage; while Elsa sang happy thoughts, Ortrud voiced her false concern and remorse. The contrast of two voices heightened the drama.

Georg Zeppenfeld sang Heinrich with dignity and power, even though his voice lacked the gravitas of a typical bass. Derek Welton, with his youthful voice and presence, was a memorable Herald. All the principal singers as well as chorus were well directed. Not only were the principals’ interaction designed to heighten the drama, but the chorus was a major part of the action, with well choreographed movement.

Christine Mielitz's 1983 production updates the action to around the 19th century judging from costumes but was otherwise very traditional. Lohengrin appeared from the back of stage riding a gigantic glass swan; the swan returned at the end to reveal a young boy Gottfried. The tall glass walls were effectively used as backdrop.

Above all, this was an unforgettable musical performance, thanks largely to Anna Netrebko’s miraculous first outing as a Wagnerian heroine and Christian Thielemans’s revelatory conducting. --- Ako Imamura, bachtrack.com

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Richard Wagner – Parsifal (Kubelik) [2003]

2009-10-27T13:31:03Z

Wagner – Parsifal (Kubelik) [2003]

CD 1
01. Act 1. Vorspiel
02. Act 1. He! Ho! Waldhuter ihr
03. Act 1. Seht dort, die wilde Reiterin!
04. Act 1. Recht so! – Habt Dank!
05. Act 1. He, du da! Was liegst du dort wie ein wildes Tier?
06. Act 1. Das ist ein andres
07. Act 1. Titurel, der fromme Held, der kannt’ ihn wohl
08. Act 1. Vor allem nun: der Speer kehr’ uns zuruck!
09. Act 1. Weh! Weh!
10. Act 1. Du konntest morden, hier, im heil’gen Walde
11. Act 1. Wo bist du her?
12. Act 1. Den Vaterlosen gebar die Mutter
13. Act 1. So recht! So nach des Grales Gnade

CD 2
01. Act 1. Vom Bade kehrt der Konig heim
02. Act 1. Nun achte wohl, und lass mich seh’n
03. Act 1. Mein Sohn Amfortas, bist du am Amt
04. Act 1. Nein! Lasst ihn unenthullt
05. Act 1. Nehmet hin meinen Leib
06. Act 1. Was stehst du noch da?

CD 3
01. Act 2. Vorspiel
02. Act 2. Die Zeit ist da
03. Act 2. Erwachst du? Ha!
04. Act 2. Jetzt schon erklimmt er die Burg
05. Act 2. Hier war das Tosen!
06. Act 2. Ihr schonen Kinder
07. Act 2. Komm, komm! Holder Knabe!
08. Act 2. Parsifal! – Weile!
09. Act 2. Ich sah das Kind an seiner Mutter Brust
10. Act 2. Amfortas! – Die Wurde!
11. Act 2. Grausamer! Fuhlst du im Herzen
12. Act 2. Auf Ewigkeit warst du verdammt
13. Act 2. Vergeh, unseliges Weib!
14. Act 2. Halt da! Dich bann’ich mit der rechten Wehr!

CD 4
01. Act 3. Vorspiel
02. Act 3. Von dorther kam das Stohnen
03. Act 3. Du tolles Weib! Hast du kein Wort fur mich?
04. Act 3. In dustrem Waffenschmucke?
05. Act 3. Heil mir dass ich dich wiederfinde!
06. Act 3. O Gnade! Hochstes Heil!
07. Act 3. Nicht so! – Die heil’ge Quelle selbst
08. Act 3. Du wuschest mir die Fusse
09. Act 3. Wie dunkt mich doch die Aue heut so schon
10. Act 3. Mittag – Die Stund’ist da
11. Act 3. Geleiten wir im bergenden Schrein
12. Act 3. Ja, Wehe! Wehe! Weh’ uber mich
13. Act 3. Nur eine Waffe taugt

Performer:
Bernd Weikl (Baritone) - Amfortas 
Kurt Moll (Bass), - Gurnemanz
Matti Salminen (Bass) - Titurel
James King (Tenor) - Parsifal
Franz Mazura (Baritone) - Klingsor
Yvonne Minton (Mezzo Soprano) - Kundry

Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Rafael Kubelik – conductor

This splendid set, recorded commercially in 1980 but held up due to contractual problems, here makes (to the best of my knowledge) its first appearance on CD. Entirely tic-, quirk-, and eccentricity-free, this performance's translucence is one of its great virtues, and there are very few drawbacks. Tempos are ideal, buildups natural, peaks never overstated. Paying the most scrupulous attention to dynamics I've ever heard, Rafael Kubelik keeps the mood mysterious and pious. Parsifal himself, as sung by James King in Act 1 and the start of Act 2, is boyish and tentative. At first it's easy to think he's merely undersinging and saving himself--or that he's simply under-powered; but in fact, it's a brilliantly thought-through and executed performance. The Kundry/Parsifal encounter in Act 2 is so suggestive, so whispered, so intimate, that when Parsifal finally explodes with awareness ("Amfortas! Die Wunde!") it is truly his awakening. From there until the act's end he grows in stature (and voice), and with spear in hand, he's truly magnificent and fearsome in his new-found strength. His potent calmness in Act 3 is palpable and by the close he is truly worthy of the Grail. It's a nuanced, brilliant performance.

Kurt Moll, with his big cavernous sound, keeps it in check for all but the most extroverted, extravagant moments (recognizing Parsifal in Act 3, etc.), and if he never quite sounds as weary in Act 3 as Hans Hotter does, he certainly sings the role more beautifully than anyone else in memory. He also exudes true authority and a type of cosmic calm when he must--his voice is in perfect condition and his pianissimos are beautiful. In all, no complaints about his excellent performance.

Yvonne Minton's Kundry is a mixed bag: she's brilliantly insightful and expressive, and at low volume (most of the role, the way Kubelik plays it) she's remarkable. But in the rare forays into forte and above the staff, the tone is hard and unhappy. She's no Christa Ludwig (perfect for Solti) or Waltraud Meier (her only decent recorded performance, for Barenboim) or Mödl (loony but irresistible for Knappertsbusch in '51) or Jessye Norman (gorgeous, with Levine), but she certainly is not a problem and uses her undersized voice with blazing passion. Matti Salminen's vibrato-free sound as Titurel is oddly commanding, and Bernd Weikl is a suitably agonized Amfortas. Franz Mazura's Klinsor is a nasty, snarling piece of work, wonderfully corrupt. The rest are very good, with Lucia Popp's First Flower Maiden particularly seductive. The chorus is just about perfect, as is the orchestra; they sing and play with luster and at times a type of dreaminess I've never encountered before.

There's a stillness, a sense of timelessness to this reading that is unmatched by any other I've heard (even Karajan's), and it's not only appropriate, it's hypnotic. Solti's may be more awe-inspiring and Knappertsbusch's more fanatically Wagnerian, but this is something otherworldly. The recording is early digital, and a boost to the treble brings it more forward--just to the right place. This is a performance that chills and warms just where it should. Highly recommended. ---Robert Levine, ClassicsToday.com

Parsifal (WWV 111) is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner. It is loosely based on Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival, the 13th century epic poem of the Arthurian knight Parzival (Percival) and his quest for the Holy Grail, and on Chrétien de Troyes' Perceval, the Story of the Grail.

Wagner first conceived the work in April 1857 but it was not finished until twenty-five years later. It was to be Wagner's last completed opera and in composing it he took advantage of the particular acoustics of his Bayreuth Festspielhaus. Parsifal was first produced at the second Bayreuth Festival in 1882. The Bayreuth Festival maintained a monopoly on Parsifal productions until 1903, when the opera was performed at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

Wagner preferred to describe Parsifal not as an opera, but as "ein Bühnenweihfestspiel" - "A Festival Play for the Consecration of the Stage". At Bayreuth a tradition has arisen that there is no applause after the first act of the opera.

Wagner's spelling of Parsifal instead of the Parzival he had used up to 1877 is informed by an erroneous etymology of the name Percival deriving it from a supposedly Arabic origin, Fal Parsi meaning "pure fool". ---wiki

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Richard Wagner – The Symphonic Ring (2009)

2011-11-18T09:47:18Z

Richard Wagner – The Symphonic Ring (2009)


01. Prelude Rhinegold
02. The Song of the Rhine Maidens
03. Alberich s Curse of Love
04. The Gods castle Valhalla
05. The Forging
06. Donner s Call
07. Prelude to The Valkyrie
08. Siegmund and Sieglinde						play
09. Winter Storms
10. Siegmund and Sieglinde s Escape
11. Prelude to 2nd Act Valkyrie
12. Wotan s Rage
13. Ride of the Valkyries Prelude 3rd Act
14. Wotan s Farewell
15. Magical Fire
16. Prelude 2nd Act Siegfried
17. Forest Murmurs
18. Siegfried s Fight with the Dragon
19. Fafner s Warning
20. Prelude 3rd Act Siegfried
21. Night on Bruennhilde s Rock
22. Sunrise
23. Siegfried-Bruennhilde Duet
24. Siegfried s Rhine Journey
25. Hagen s Battle Summons
26. Chorus of the Vassals
27. Prelude to 3rd Act Twilight of the Gods
28. The Murder of Siegfried						play
29. Siegfried s Memory of Bruennhilde
30. Siegfried s Death and Funeral Music
31. Bruennhilde s Immolation Scene

Duisburger Philharmoniker
Jonathan Darlington – conductor

The Symphonic Ring - an orchestral drama in two parts
Compilation and arrangement of the score by Friedmann Dreßler
Recording location: Mercatorhalle Duisburg, 27./28.05.2009

Single orchestral pieces from Wagner's "Ring of the Nibelung" are frequently to be heard in the concert hall. However, a detailed symphonic pathway through the whole work requires intensive preparation of the musical material. This is particularly the case when - as here - the aim is to keep to the original as closely as possible, nothing being added in the form of new composition.

Several stipulations must be considered: nothing may be changed concerning the chronological sequence of the pieces, however, the proportions must also be correct and the transitions must follow organically. The usable segments are therefore to be selected carefully, always regarding meaningful connections and the dramaturgy of the whole. Thus not all instrumental parts can be used. Ultimately further liberties arise from the use of segments with vocal participation which are reflected either in an instrumental line or are transferred onto an instrument.

In the version recorded here Friedmann Dreßler has altered Richard Wagner's "Stage Festival Play for Three Days and a Preliminary Evening" into an orchestral drama: As a complete symphonic work the scenes from "The Ring of the Nibelung" proceed virtually seamlessly through the plot in a good one and a half hours. A division into two large segments resulted, so that the selections from "Rhinegold" and "Valkyrie" were combined, as were those from "Siegfried" and "Twilight of the Gods".

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Wagner - Das Rheingold (2012)

2010-03-10T19:34:23Z

Wagner - Das Rheingold (2012)


1. Das Rheingold 	2:32:22

Cast:

Wotan: Johan Reuter
Alberich: Wolfgang Koch
Loge: Stefan Margita
Fricka: Sophie Koch
Fasolt: Thorsten Grümbel
Fafner: Phillip Ens
Mime: Ulrich Ress
Erda: Catherine Wyn-Rogers
Freia: Aga Mikolaj
Donner: Levente Molnar
Froh: Thomas Blondelle
Woglinde: Eri Nakamura
Wellgunde: Angela Brower
Flosshilde: Okka von der Damerau

Bavarian State Orchestra
Kent Nagano – conductor

National Theater, Munich, 10.7.2012

Kent Nagano got an excellent performance from his magnificent Bavarian State Orchestra, but occasionally I found his interpretation a little bland—for example in the scenes of the Gods and at Nibelheim. I heard an improvement in the last two scenes of the opera, although Erda’s advice wasn’t exactly shrouded in mystery. One does not come to Munich to attend just a good performance, but an exceptional one, which explains my relative disappointment with Mr. Nagano’s reading while I might have been delighted by the same experience somewhere else.

Danish baritone Johan Reuter was a light Wotan, with a pleasant and well-handled voice, but some sizes too small to deal with character. I had the opportunity to see him several times in the past and it’s no surprise that Wotan doesn’t quite suit him. He is a good singer, but I want my Wotans with more heft. Irreproachable in every way was the Alberich of Wolfgang Koch. He has a well suited voice to the evil Alberich (as he does also with Telramund, as I reviewed in Munich a couple of years ago by Laurson (S&H 8.7.2009) and myself (S&H 25.7.2010). When you need an Alberich, his is the first you should call!

The other major performer of the evening was Slovak tenor Stefan Margita, who made a magnificent performance in the part of Loge. He was an outstanding interpreter from beginning to end. Loge does not need to be a heldentenor and Margita was ideally suited to the character he portrayed. Sophie Koch was correct in the part of Fricka, but not truly outstanding. She is a light for the character to begin with, and she was not her best on stage that night.

The Giants seemed too light, at least compared to my expectations. Thorsten Grümbel was a baritonal Fasolt, and Phillip Ens never a menacing Fafner, and rather tight at the upper notes. Catherine Wyn-Rogers was a minor Erda, lacking weight at the bottom of the range. I liked Levente Molnar as Donner, as well as Thomas Blondelle as Froh, rather light, but singing with gusto. Ulrich Ress was a good Mime and Aga Mikolaj played her Freia with routine. Kudos to the Rhine Daughters Eri Nakamura (Woglinde), the excellent Angela Brower (Wellgunde), and Okka von der Okka Damerau (Flosshilde), who is in possession of a very promising voice. --- José Mª Irurzun, seenandheard-international.com

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Wagner - Das Rheingold (Bayreuth 2010)

2013-06-13T16:11:38Z

Wagner - Das Rheingold (Bayreuth 2010)


1. Vorspiel – Scene 1 – Scene 2 – Scene 3
2. Scene 3 – Scene 4

Albert Dohmen (Wotan)
Arnold Bezuyen (Loge)
Andrew Shore (Alberich)
Mihoko Fujimura (Fricka)

Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
Christian Thielemann – conductor

Festival de Bayreuth, 27.07.2010

Synopsis:

In the depths of the Rhine, the three Rhinemaidens guard the Rhinegold, a treasure of immeasurable value. The Nibelung dwarf Alberich is dazzled by the sight of it. The girls explain that whoever wins the gold and forges it into a ring will gain power over the world, but must first renounce love. Frustrated by his unsuccessful attempts to catch one of the girls, Alberich curses love and steals the gold.

Wotan, lord of the gods, is reproached by his wife Fricka: he has promised to give Freia, goddess of youth, to the giants Fasolt and Fafner in return for their building a fortress for the gods. When the giants demand their reward, Loge, the god of fire, suggests an alternative payment: the ring Alberich has forged from the Rhinegold, and his other treasures. The giants agree, and Wotan and Loge leave for the Nibelungs’ underground home.

Here they meet Alberich’s brother Mime, who has forged the Tarnhelm, a magic helmet that transforms its wearer into any shape. Mime tells Wotan and Loge how Alberich has enslaved the Nibelungs to work for him. Alberich appears and mocks the gods. Loge asks for a demonstration of the Tarnhelm and Alberich turns himself into a dragon, then into a toad, which the gods capture. Dragged to the surface, the dwarf is forced to summon the Nibelungs to heap up the gold. Wotan wrests the ring from his finger. Shattered, Alberich curses the ring: ceaseless worry and death shall be the destiny of its bearer.

The giants return and agree to accept the gold. The gods have to give up even the Tarnhelm, but Wotan refuses to part with the ring. Erda, goddess of the earth, appears and warns him that possession of it will bring about the end of the gods. Wotan reluctantly gives the ring to the giants, and Alberich’s curse claims its first victim as Fafner kills his brother in a dispute over the treasure. As the voices of the Rhinemaidens are heard, lamenting the loss of their gold, the gods walk toward their new home, which Wotan names Valhalla. --- metoperafamily.org

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Wagner - Der Fliegende Holländer (Solti) [1990]

2009-10-27T13:26:49Z

Wagner - Der Fliegende Holländer (Solti) [1990]

Disc: 1
1. Ov - Chicago SO/Sir Gerog Soltii
2. Act I: Hohoje! Hojoje! Hallojo! Ho!/Kein Zweifel! Sieben Meilen fort - Chicago Sym Chor/Martti Talvela
3. Act I: Mit Gewitter und Sturm aus fernem Meer - WErner Krenn
4. Act I: Die Frist ist um/Wie oft in meeres Tiefsten Schlund/Dich frage ich, gepriesner Engel... - Norman Bailey
5. Act I: He! Holla! Steuermann! - Martti Talvera
6. Act I: Durch Sturm und bosen Wind verschlagen - Norman Bailey
7. Act I: Wie? Hort' ich recht?/Sudwind! Sudwind! - Martti Talvera
8. Act I: Mit Gewitter und Sturm aus fernem Meer - Chicago Sym Chor/Margaret Hillis
9. Act II: Summ und brumm, du gutes Radchen - Chicago Sym Chor/Margaret Hillis
10. Act II: Du boses Kind, wenn du nicht spinnst - Isola Jones
11. Act II: Johohoe! Traft ihr das Schiff im Meere an! - Janis Martin

Disc: 2
1. Act II: Ach! Wo weilt sie - Chicago Sym Chor/Margaret Hillis
2. Act II: Senta! Senta! Willst du mich verderben? - Rene Kollo
3. Act II: Bleib, Senta! Bleib nur einen Augenblick!/Auf hohem Felsen lag ich traumend - Rene Kollo
4. Act II: Mein Kind, du sieht mich aif der Schwelle... - Martti Talvera
5. Act II: Mogst du, mein Kind, den fremden Mann willkommen heissen - Martti Talvera
6. Act II: Wie aus der Ferne langst vergang' ner Zeiten/Wirst du des Vaters Wahl nicht schelten?... - Norman Bailey
7. Act II: Verzeiht! Mein Volk halt draussen sich nicht mehr - Martti Talvera
8. Act II: Orch Transition - Chicago SO/Sir Georg Solti
9. Act III: Steuermann, lass die Wacht! - Chicago Sym Chor/Margaret Hillis
10. Act III: Johohohe! Johohohoe! Hoe! Hoe! - Chicago Sym Chor/Margaret Hillis
11. Act III: Was muss ich horen, Gott, was muss ich sehen! - Rene Kollo
12. Act III: Willst jenes Tags du nicht dich mehr entsinnen - Rene Kollo
13. Act III: Verloren! Ach, verloren! Ewig verlornes Heil! - Norman Bailey
14. Act III: Erfahre das Geschick, vor dem ich dich bewahr'! - Norman Bailey
15. Act III: Du kennst mich nicht, du ahnst nicht, wer ich bin! - Norman Bailey

Daland - Martti Talvela
Senta - Janis Martin
Erik - René Kollo
Mary - Isola Jones
Steuermann - Werner Krenn
Holländer - Norman Bailey

Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
Georg Solti – conductor

Recorded in 1976

The Flying Dutchman is one of the most accessible of Wagner's works, and though it is the first of his operas that earned a permanent place in the repertory, it still possesses many aspects of conventional operatic practice, as well as a Weberian leitmotiv structure much simpler than that exhibited in Wagner's music after Tristan. Surprisingly, despite its accessibility, recordings of the work that are not deficient on technical or vocal or musical grounds seem to be in comparatively short supply. An exception is this classic CSO-Solti effort dating from the late '70s, where the sound is reasonably up to date, and the casting ranges from good to excellent. Of all recordings of this Wagnerian milestone, Solti's interpertation of this score still seems most authoritative. ---Christian C. Rix, amazon.com

This legend of a Dutch sea captain cursed to sail the earth unendingly, only coming ashore once every seven years to seek the selfless love of a woman, featured themes that would be of enduring interest to Wagner: the theme of a wanderer in search of redemption reappears several times in his later Ring des Nibelungen; that of redemption through a woman's act of self-sacrifice appears both in Tannhäuser and the Ring; and that of a pre-destined and unbreakable love is central to both the Ring and Tristan and Isolde. In this and several other ways the composition of Der Fliegende Holländer foreshadowed the events of the composer's development as a mature composer.

Wagner's principal source for his opera about the Flying Dutchman was Heinrich Heine's version of the legend in his Aus den Memoiren des Herren von Schnabelewopski, published in 1834; but while Heine's retelling of the legend is ironic, Wagner stripped it of these elements and instead focused on the elements of love and redemption. The composer claimed that the work's inspiration was a stormy crossing from Riga to London in August 1839; however, Wagner's original prose sketch was set not in Norway, but Scotland, and Senta was originally "Anna." Wagner changed the setting to Norway just a few weeks before the opera's premiere (in Dresden, January 2, 1843) in order to distance it from a production of Pierre-Louis Dietsch's Le vaisseau fantôme, which was also a setting of Wagner's libretto (he had sold it to the Paris Opéra in 1841, hoping to gain the commission for himself).

It is likewise not true, as Wagner claimed, that the entire work grew from the "thematic seed" of Senta's Act Two ballad, although elements of the song do appear in the Dutchman's monologue and in Erik's dream. This claim was most likely Wagner's attempt to align this relatively early work with the thematic construction of his later music dramas. However, Der Fliegende Holländer does show Wagner's early moves toward large-scale form, and the blurring of divisions between musical sections.

In many ways, Dutchman resembles its predecessors in German Romantic opera, especially those with supernatural plots. Senta's portentous ballad in Act Two, for example, resembles the prophetic song sung by the heroine of Marschner's Der Vampyr, which Wagner helped prepare for performance in Wurzburg in 1833. Wagner also uses dramatic devices such as the seemingly hypnotic state in which the Dutchman and Senta first encounter each other, to emphasize the unearthly nature and fatedness of the bond between them.

The Dresden premiere of Dutchman was not the success that Wagner had hoped. Having bathed in the exaggerated splendor and grandeur of his Meyerbeerian Rienzi, those in the audience expected a similar spectacle and were somewhat disappointed. However, Der Fliegende Holländer quickly gained in popularity and has remained a favorite. Perhaps the most familiar excerpts from the score are the "Sailor's chorus" from Act Three and the "Spinning chorus" from Act Two, which precedes Senta's ballad (which foretells of the Dutchman's presence), but the Dutchman's joyful aria "Wie aus der Ferne längst vergang'ner Zeiten" and Daland's "Mögst du mein Kind" are also memorable. ---Rovi

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Wagner - Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg (Haitink) [1997]

2011-03-16T19:37:54Z

Wagner - Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg (Haitink) [1997]

CD1
01. Applause [0:00:21.85]
02. Vorspiel [0:09:46.72]
03. Da zu der Heiland kam [0:03:29.25]
04. Verweilt! Ein Wort [0:04:37.05]
05. Da bin ich: wer ruft? [0:04:00.30]
06. David! Was stehst? [0:01:57.66]
07. Mein Herr! Der Singer Meisterschlag [0:02:42.04]
08. Der Meister Ton und Weisen [0:06:52.68]
09. Aller End ist doch David [0:03:02.57]
10. Seide meiner Treue wohl versehen [0:03:52.36]
11. Gott gruss Euch, Meister! [0:02:59.10]
12. Das schone Fest, Johannistag [0:04:05.94]
13. Eva, mein einzig Kind, zur Eh [0:08:13.84]
14. Dacht ich mir's doch! [0:02:56.68]
15. Am stillen Herd [0:04:03.06]
16. Merwurd'ger Fall! [0:05:36.98]

CD2
01. Fanget an! [0:02:55.76]
02. Seid ihr nun fertig? [0:02:19.58]
03. Halt, Meister! Nicht so geeilt! [0:03:35.28]
04. Ihr mahnt mich da gar recht [0:03:40.74]
05. Applaus [0:00:46.44]
06. Applaus [0:00:32.42]
07. Johannistag! Johannistag! [0:03:55.98]
08. Lass sehn, ob Meister Sachs zu Haus? [0:05:30.68]
09. Zeig her! 's ist gut [0:00:54.05]
10. Was duftet doch der Flieder [0:05:44.94]
11. Gut'n Abend, Meister! [0:08:18.22]
12. Das dacht' ich wohl [0:01:58.97]
13. Da ist er! [0:03:56.96]
14. Geliebter, spare den Zorn [0:02:08.16]
15. Uble Dinge, die ich da merk' [0:01:59.45]
16. Tu's nicht! Doch horch! [0:01:01.96]
17. Jerum! Jerum! [0:04:40.77]
18. Das Fenster geht auf! [0:07:27.36]
19. Den Tag seh ich erscheinen [0:05:13.77]
20. Seid ihr nun fertig? [0:01:24.60]
21. Ach, Himmel! David! [0:04:56.53]

CD3
01. Applaus [0:00:41.88]
02. Vorspiel [0:07:45.89]
03. Gleich, Meister! Hier! [0:04:03.34]
04. Am Jordan Sankt Johannes stand [0:03:38.09]
05. Wahn! Wahn! Überall Wahn! [0:06:54.04]
06. Grüß Gott, mein Junker! [0:04:42.64]
07. Mein Freund, in holder Jugendzeit [0:04:28.77]
08. Morgenlich leuchtend in rosigem Schein [0:05:10.84]
09. Abendlich gluhend in himmlischer Pracht [0:04:48.57]
10. Zwischenspiel - Interlude [0:02:29.66]
11. Ein Werbelied! Von Sachs! [0:04:34.90]
12. Das Gedicht? Hier liess ich's [0:07:38.36]
13. Sieh, Evchen! [0:04:13.65]
14. Weilten die Sterne [0:02:05.16]
15. Hat man mit dem Schuhwerk nicht seine Not! [0:01:31.49]
16. O Sachs! Mein Freund! [0:03:44.80]
17. Ein Kind ward hier geboren [0:04:16.12]

CD4
01. Selig, wie die Sonne [0:04:30.05]
02. Nun, Junker, kommt! [0:02:02.80]
03. Sankt Krispin, lobet ihn! [0:03:47.17]
04. Ihr tanzt? [0:05:49.40]
05. Silentium! Silentium! [0:00:43.56]
06. Wacht auf, es nahet gen den Tag [0:03:05.76]
07. Euch macht ihr's leicht [0:05:21.80]
08. Zum Teufel! Wie wackelig! [0:02:07.50]
09. Morgendlich leuchtend in rosigem Schein [0:03:38.34]
10. Das Lied, furwahr, ist nicht von mir [0:04:32.14]
11. Morgenlich leuchtend in rosigem Schein [0:05:14.94]
12. Den Zeugen, denk es [0:01:45.04]
13. Verachtet mir die Meister nicht [0:07:35.45]

Hans Sachs - Sir John Tomlinson (baritone)
Veit Pogner - Gwynne Howell (bass)
Kunz Vogelgesang - Alasdair Elliott (tenor)
Konrad Nachtigall - Edward Lloyd-Morgan (baritone)
Sixtus Beckmesser - Sir Thomas Allen (baritone)
Fritz Kothner - Anthony Michaels-Moore (bass)
Balthasar Zorn - Robin Leggate (tenor)
Ulrich Eißlinger - Paul Crook (tenor)
Augustin Moser - John Dobson (tenor)
Hermann Ortel - Grant Dickson (bass)
Hans Schwarz - Geoffrey Moses (bass)
Hans Foltz - Simon Wilding (bass)
Walther von Stolzing - Gösta Winbergh (tenor)
David - Herbert Lippert (tenor)
Eva - Nancy Gustafson (soprano)
Magdalene - Catherine Wyn-Rogers (mezzo)
Nightwatchman - Michael Druiett (bass)

Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Bernard Haitink - conductor

Recorded live, Royal Opera House, 12 July 1997

Just a month or two ago I reviewed a reissue of Wolfgang Sawallisch’s Bavarian State Opera recording of Wagner’s comic masterpiece. The virtues of that set lay in Sawallisch’s seasoned pacing of the drama and the sense of an experienced ensemble working together, notwithstanding some outstanding individual performances from the likes of Ben Heppner.

Now in this new set from the Royal Opera House archives the selfsame advantages of a true ensemble performance are thrown into sharper relief by a cast that is probably even better overall than its Munich counterparts.

Recorded live in July 1997 just prior to the Royal Opera House’s closure for refurbishment, this performance marked a high point in Haitink’s tenure as Music Director. The appearance of this CD set is doubly valuable, both preserving a superb performance and Haitink’s interpretation of a work he has not otherwise recorded.

Haitink’s cast is an international one, but with a pleasing and appropriate emphasis on home-grown talent. John Tomlinson’s Sachs is fully equal to the role’s extrovert and introvert moments. There is a slight edge to his tone here which becomes less obvious as the performance progresses. His singing has tremendous variety of dynamic and nuance without losing any of its elemental power, and his response to the words shows fine poetic insight: his Fliedermonolog is profoundly moving. He also enters into his exchanges with Beckmesser with aplomb. It’s good to hear the audience laughter preserved here too! Thomas Allen as Beckmesser gives an extremely fine performance, all the better for being well sung rather than resorting to the kind of sprechgesang that some performers have used. It’s a performance that suggests, quite rightly, that there is more to the town clerk than the customary pettifogging caricature we often hear. We realise that Beckmesser is also a victim of the Wahn, or madness, of which Sachs sings in his Act 3 monologue.

The veteran Gwynne Howell is a rich-toned Pogner, giving a warm, lyrical account of his solo in Act 1, and effectively characterising Pogner’s concerns and doubts in his exchanges with Sachs in Act 2.

The late Gösta Winbergh performs a memorable Walther von Stolzing, if not quite the equal of Ben Heppner on Sawallisch’s set, he paces the role admirably and – no mean feat – has plenty of power in reserve at the end for the Prize Song. His voice production is slightly veiled at the start but he is able to open out more attractively as the opera progresses. He delineates well Walther’s progression from the impulsive youth of the first two acts to the wiser figure of the third.

Nancy Gustafson sings a girlish, lyrical Eva, who can also be spirited and impulsive, as in her exchanges with Sachs in Act 2, and rises well to the challenges of Act 3. Her outburst of “Oh Sachs! Mein Freund!” is thrillingly sung and she and her colleagues give a beautiful account of the Quintet. Herbert Lippert’s David is boyish and likeable, giving a fine performance of the singing modes in Act 1. Catherine Wyn-Rogers is a good Magdalena.

The various roles of the Mastersingers themselves are ably sung by members of the Covent Garden company. Special mention should go to the fine Kothner of Anthony Michaels-Moore. The chorus also acquits itself with distinction, whether as the apprentices, the agitated neighbours of Act 2 or in the great celebratory crowd scenes of the Third Act.

Haitink brings a welcome lightness of touch to the score, emphasising the warmth and humour of Wagner’s comedy. As with many performances of Die Meistersinger, the work in Haitink’s performance grows in stature as it progresses. Act 2 is performed with a scherzo-like delicacy after the expository, slightly understated First Act. It’s in the long span of Act 3 that Haitink and his cast are at their most inspired. Haitink relishes Wagner’s greater breadth and humanity of purpose with long-breathed phrasing by the ROH orchestra, with hushed strings and burnished brass in the prelude, and suitably celebratory playing in the final scenes.

Taken from BBC broadcast tapes, the sound is warm, rich and full, if not ideally clear. Applause is included before and after each Act - at the end it is deservedly extensive. There is a natural opera house balance, with voices rather backwardly placed; occasionally this means that some of the words are lost as the characters move around the stage.

There are a couple of tiny production niggles; Beckmesser’s cry of “Fanget an!” at the end of CD 1 is repeated – needlessly – at the start of CD2; and something has gone awry with the booklet which omits page 59 and repeats page 60. A high-quality booklet includes full texts, translation and production photos.

Overall a superb performance. ---Ewan McCormick, musicweb-international.com

download: (mp3 @192 kbs)

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