Ride of Valkyries Hlts

Wagner (Artist), Szell (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00000DRXE
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #229,228 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Das Rheingold (The Rhine Gold), opera, WWV 86a: Entrance of the Gods into Valhalla

2. Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), opera, WWV 86b: The Ride of the Valkyries

3. Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), opera, WWV 86b: Magic Fire Music

4. Siegfried, opera, WWV 86c: Forest Murmurs

5. Die Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods), opera, WWV 86d: Dawn

6. Die Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods), opera, WWV 86d: Siegfried's Rhine Journey

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quite a ride, December 10, 2008

By 

C. G. King (Horse Country, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ride of Valkyries Hlts (Audio CD)

I'm not a huge Wagner fan, but wanted something of his in my collection. This seemed the perfect choice and indeed it was. Szell is wonderful as always giving the music his accurate and dynamic touch. All that is best about Wagner comes through here. Thoroughly enjoyable--even to marginal 'Ring' fans.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At times vividly picturesque..., December 29, 2007

By 

Joe Anthony "Joe Anthony" (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ride of Valkyries Hlts (Audio CD)

The revolutionary and contraversial German composer Richard Wagner composed a 13+ hour opera cycle (The Ring) based on Nordic mythology. Even though I have been a fan of ochestral and chamber music for over 25 years, I have only actually listened to a handful of operas in their entirety. I once sat down to listen to "Rheingold", which is Wagner's first instilation of the Ring cycle, and became so dreadfully bored that I shut it off after the first hour.

Not with standing, the "excerpts" from "The Ring" are quite amazing: very lush; majestic; very brassy and bombastic; and at times vividly picturesque. Wagner, after all, was to become the inspiration behind the whole post-Romantic movement. Mahler, Bruckner, Richard Strauss, Elgar, Neilsen, Franck, even Alban Berg and Ottorino Respeghi; have been influenced by Wagner's orchestrations.

Someday, I may give the complete operas another chance, but for now, these flawless reditions by the outstanding George Szell and the Clevelnad Orchestra are just the right dosage of Wagner for my diet.

Comparisons: Bernstein; Solti; Karajan; Stan Kenton (jazz versions)

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful orchestral interpretation of Wagner..., May 24, 2007

By 

Bowie V. Ibarra "author of "Down the Road... (In the great republic of Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ride of Valkyries Hlts (Audio CD)

The "Great Performance" series contained many great artists interpreted for the ages by some of the worlds best conductors. This compilation of some of Wagner's greatest is outstanding. Though the choral voices are missing, the power is not.

Every orchestral interpretation is presented with the gravitas and majesty that is Wagner. The "Ride of the Valkyries" and "Sigfried's Funeral" are powerful.

For those that are looking for great interpretations of Wagner, this is the one to start with.