Amazon.com Review
Richard Wagner had the idea of writing an opera on the death of the Teutonic ur-hero Siegfried. Then he decided to add some additional material, and the project grew and grew to become the four-opera, 16-hour Ring des Nibelungen, one of the most astonishing accomplishments in all of western civilization. Gotterdammerung (The Twilight of the Gods) is the last and most amazing of the four operas of the cycle, as Wagner brings down the world of the gods and heroes in fire and water. What he accomplishes with his orchestral writing is nothing short of astonishing--and you can see how he does it by following along with this full orchestral score from Dover. Dover scores, reprints of out-of-copyright editions from other publishers, are entirely lacking in frills, and they're not that helpful to singers who need to learn a role. But inexpensive Dover scores may be a Wagnerite's best friend (after the Solti recording of the Ring!), whether you're new to the Ring or an old hand.
Product Description
Complete score available in U.S. only in this edition. Reprinted directly from rare 1877 first edition.
This is an immense work of Herculean intensity. At its worst this opera can be a little thick but even the worst music here is beautiful! The scoring is superb, the harmonies rich. This is the only part of The Ring to use a chorus. The first moments of the piece set the tone of apocalyptic drama.
It's a big work but once you get involved in the action (this takes a few seconds at most), the time flies by and before you know it, it is over. It is a great idea to equip oneself with the score for most productions as, unfortunately, there are very few good productions of this ever. It is a complicated score, exhausting and difficult to sing and interpret. A pity, for when Gotterdammerung is done right there are few things as powerful and beautiful in the world.
The reviewer who praised this reprint before my post here has said all that needs to be said in favour of this work!! My only quibbles - and the reason I can't give this edition a full 5 stars - have to do with Schott's fonts and the ordering of their staves in the systems.
[For details, please see my equivalent review for "Siegfried in Full Score", which Dover reprint is from the same first-edition source as this one.]
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