Customer Reviews

Richard Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen - Historical Recordings 1926-1932

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This is the first of four volumes featuring excerpts from historical Ring recordings. If you have the 'potted Ring' on Pearl, you can skip this first installment. It is pretty much the same product...only cheaper. If you don't have the 'potted' Ring excerpts, this is a bargain. Unfortunately, you must buy volume 2 for the Gotterdammerung to complete it.

These recordings are basically the best parts of the Ring with Siegfried being the more complete. You have the young Schorr, the young Melchior (on his best behavior), the young Easton, etc. I enjoyed hearing the Siegfried duet with Melchior and Florence Easton. This IS Brunnhilde save for the last thrilling note which goes abit astray. Probably what Georg Solti would call 'animalistic'(or something like that according to John Culshaw's Ring Resounding.) A 'womanly' Brunnhilde very much like Evans on the Barenboim Bayreuth set. No longer a goddess but a woman in the flesh. Doubtful, fearful, hopeful, longing, thankful and finally totally human. Truly awakened to love. Not as biting as Nilsson or Flagstad. A pleasure to hear a Brunnhilde who would melt into Siegfried's arms rather than toss spears at him. Many more treasures like this are featured in these four filled discs. Pops and clicks are rare to find and the music sounds like it was recorded yesterday. A fun and listenable experience. Buy it! Just don't expect modern sound, but do expect what Wagner should sound like.