Wagner's Operas

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by misterjones, Jun 8, 2017.

  1. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear. Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY
    I started a Wagner - Bayreuth thread, but I'm thinking that was too limiting. Therefore, I thought I'd start a broader thread on all of Wagner's operas for at least my own edification.

    I'm starting to listen to all of them using the complete Solti operas on Decca (which are on Spotify) and following along with on-line libretti. It probably will take me awhile, since it often is hard to find time to sit down for even a scene or two. (I'm curently into Act II of The Flying Dutchman.)

    Of course, this doesn't prevent me from venturing outside of Solti at least for listening pleasure. I'm currently listening to Karajan's Parsifal on DG, which I find to be quite good. Parsifal is at the Met in New York next year and I would like to see that.
     
    Last edited: Jun 8, 2017
  2. Wounded Land

    Wounded Land Forum Resident

    Enjoy! I first got into Wagner a few years ago and it changed my (musical) life.
     
  3. Siegmund

    Siegmund Vinyl Sceptic

    Location:
    Britain, Europe
    I've just got back from a performance of Tristan Und Isolde and am now writing up my review.

    Discovering Wagner in 1990 changed my life (for the better, I might add); it also helped to massively broaden my musical taste.

    Wagner's music dramas are some of the greatest works of art ever created. My appreciation of them gets ever deeper over the years.
     
  4. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear. Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY
    I dragged my heels about seeing Der Fliegende Hollander at the Met this year and missed my chance. I saw Die Walkure a few years ago and thought it was the best I'd ever seen . . . head and shoulders above much of the rest, though I liked Il Travatore a lot (which got a bit of a boost because I had excellent seats).
     
  5. Fafner88

    Fafner88 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Haifa, Israel
    I think that I got into Wagner mainly via the Ring and Parsifal, and then everything else followed. Lohengrin is also an old favorite, and I believe it's the one you should listen to before the Dutchman and Tannhaueser. The last came Tristan and Die Meistersinger, which I actually found the most challenging.

    A good strategy in my opinion to getting know Wagner is listening to some highlights CD's of famous arias and orchestral excerpts, since they usually contain many of the important tunes, and if you learn to recognize them it will help you to follow the complete operas (which as you probably know are largely built of recurring musical bits called leitmotifs). At least it helped me.
     
  6. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear. Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY
    I have several of those on vinyl and CD that I've been listening to since I saw Die Walkure live a few years back. Here's an excerpt from the production I saw:

     
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  7. Sordel

    Sordel Forum Resident

    Location:
    Switzerland
    I've seen Parsifal a couple of times: once at the Royal Opera House and once in Vienna. In dramatic terms it's slow - and of course it's at the longer end of his works - but it's actually very good live.
     
  8. Siegmund

    Siegmund Vinyl Sceptic

    Location:
    Britain, Europe
    I can never decide which is my favourite Wagner opera (which would also be my favourite opera of all): Die Walkure, Tristan and Parsifal would certainly be the top three and sometimes Parsifal is ahead of the others.

    My favourite recordings of the work are the ones by Karajan and Kubelik, which were both released in the same timeframe and both feature the superb Kurt Moll as Gurnemanz. A lot of people know the Karajan, but not many know the Kubelik - it is every bit as good as Karajan, arguably even better.
     
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  9. Fafner88

    Fafner88 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Haifa, Israel
    Another excellent recording featuring Moll is Levine on DG (and Domingo also does a great job).

    (I mean the studio set, there's also a nice live DVD from the met)
     
  10. Jacline

    Jacline Forum Resident

    Location:
    Real, Real Gone
    You saw the Robert Lepage production? That's great, misterjones! :) I am envious!
     
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  11. MrSka57

    MrSka57 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Syracuse, New York
    You must check out Anna Russell's The Ring of the Nibelungs (An Analysis) which is on YouTube
    (if you can't track down the LP).
     
  12. yasujiro

    yasujiro Senior Member

    Location:
    tokyo
    You can't miss some of the utterly sensational sounding CDs such as
    Meistersinger Karajan EMI WG, US or JP Pre-remaster version
    Parsifal Knappertsbusch Philips WG CDs
    Ring Keilberth Testatement
     
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  13. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear. Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY
    It was the one with the scene in the video. I'm not entirely up on the various personalities in the operas, including many or the stars and stagers.
     
  14. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear. Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY
    I'll keep these in mind. As for now, I bought the recent Solti Ring and am checking out various CD sets they have at the local library (which is fairly extensive).
     
  15. acetboy

    acetboy Forum Resident

    I got into Wagner when I watched The Ring cycle that was on PBS in the nineties. Levine conducting.
    The Ring and Parsifal are my favorites although I've collected all of the others also.

    My favorite recordings include the early ones by Bodanzky, Moralt and Furtwangler. Also the Keilberth and the Krauss.
    I love them all. That said I also love many of the more recent ones.
    The semi staged Ring from Opera North last year was awesome.

    I've got quite a few of the video productions also. I'll watch any of them.

    So after all of these years now I'm just getting to the point where I can follow and know what's
    going on just from listening.
     
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  16. yasujiro

    yasujiro Senior Member

    Location:
    tokyo
  17. Dennis Metz

    Dennis Metz Born In A Motor City south of Detroit

    Location:
    Fonthill, Ontario
  18. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear. Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY
    The Ring Cycle is coming up again at the Met in 2018. This time I will see them all, as I am more inclined now to go during the week (easier to get the $25 tickets). Had great seats for Parsifal a few weeks back (and saw Cendrillon last night, mostly - if not entirely - see and hear Joyce DiDonato).

    [​IMG]
     
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  19. Sordel

    Sordel Forum Resident

    Location:
    Switzerland
    I know that Italian opera audiences are generally regarded as terrible but sometimes US audiences are just the worst. Fancy applauding the stage machinery during the music ... :tsk:
     
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  20. yasujiro

    yasujiro Senior Member

    Location:
    tokyo
    Two more of Kenneth Wilkinson recordings.
    Meistersinger Solti Pre-remaster
    Parsifal Solti Pre-remaster
    These are the sonic wonders. The reproduction of the gigantic and complex polyphony at the finale of Act ll of Meistersinger is just incredible.
     
  21. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear. Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY
    I won't argue with that, but many times I hear someone talking during the performance - even on a cellphone, believe it or not - he or she has a foreign (typically Eastern European) accent.

    Applauding the stage machinery during the music is the least or the problems, which include (besides talking):
    (1) checking iPhones during the performance (people don't seem to realize how bright their phones are)
    (2) excessive coughing, which I know could be stifled or otherwise mitigated with a little effort
    (3) unwrapping candy
    (4) moving noisy bags and other articles around
    (5) sitting in their seats with a stick up their butts and/or constantly moving their heads
    (6) breathing heavily or even snoring
    (7) buying standing room then trying to dive into vacant seats when the lights dim (at least wait until the second act)
    (8) laughing and applauding excessively for cheap on-stage burlesque antics (some of that is on the opera personnel)

    I could continue, but I hear it's time for dinner!!!
     
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  22. feinstei9415

    feinstei9415 Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Bend, IN
    The Keilberth Ring Cycle on Testament (I have the LP version) was the first stereo Ring Cycle recorded live at the Bayreuth Festival in 1955 is the most "soulful" and beautifully recorded Ring that I have. The English language Ring cycle from the late '70's from the British conductor Reginald Goodall is pretty fantastic. It was originally released in quadraphonic sound on HMV-EMI, it'd be nice to hear a multi-channel BluRay audio release of that mix.


    [​IMG]
     
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  23. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear. Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY
    Must be a load of LPs. I'll have to listen to some of that on Spotify.
     
  24. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident

    They are endlessly imaginative and innovative at the Met.
    If I were still a New Yorker I'd move in.

    Embarrassed to admit, but like a lot of people, my introduction to Wagner came through this movie ....

     
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