Customer Reviews

Rienzi

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you're like me, you probably became acquainted with the Overture to Rienzi long before you ever heard the opera itself. For Wagner lovers interested in hearing one of the composer's more obscure works, I highly recommend this recording.

Wagner modeled Rienzi after French grand opera, so strictly speaking Rienzi is not "representative" Wagner. Yet the work itself is a joy to listen to, filled with grand choruses, melodramatic exchanges, and stirring marches and processions.

In addition, the engineered sound of this 1974 recording is simply sublime. I have old stereo equipment, but I was totally bowled over by the fantastic sonics of this CD.

Where there's Wagner, there's big voices, and this recording features several. Rene Kollo (Rienzi), Siv Wennberg (Irene), and Janis Martin (Adriano) show off their voluminous voices in page after page of this stirring score. Theo Adam and Nikolaus Hillebrand make the most of their roles as bad guys Orsini and Colonna. Even the small parts are well cast vocally: famed lieder artist Peter Schreier has a small part as Baroncelli, and Siegfried Vogel sounds grand as Cardinal Raimondo.

Grand opera is all about spectacle, and that means lots of big chorus numbers. No longer relegated as mere window dressing for soloists, the chorus in Rienzi is instead front-and-center: they sing almost as much as the soloists. This recording makes the most of Wagner's lavish choral writing by using the combined forces of two outstanding singing groups, the Leipziger Rundfunkchor and the Chor der Staatsoper Dresden. Their combined power literally sweeps you away in an ocean of sound. Add the impeccable sound engineering, and you will find it hard to resist turning up the volume.

Rienzi contains many orchestral set pieces, and they are performed to perfection by the Staatskapelle Dresden conducted by Heinrich Hollreiser. The strings are virtuosic, and the brass...well, let's just say they obviously look forward to playing Wagner! The Dresden forces give a rousing rendition of the famous overture, and also shine in the Ballet and the processional marches.

This 3-CD set comes with a complete German-English libretto, an invaluable aid given that most people hearing this rarely recorded work are probably hearing it for the first time.

For listeners who have heard the 1950 recording conducted by Winfried Zillig, this version is nearly an hour longer: 217" versus 167". However, having heard both, I prefer this longer version as the added music greatly enhances the drama of the piece.

This 1991 EMI release was reissued in 1999 with different cover art.

Wagner's third opera "Rienzi" has been trashed and spat upon by most 20th century Wagner commentators as bombastic, undramatic, and musically uninteresting. They obviously didn't hear this recording! Although the opera is not in Wagner's mature style, when one appreciates it for what it is, grand opera, it is a very enjoyable work; with its sparkling choral scenes, rousing marches, and the tense drama of the last act, it has a little something for everyone. Although the vocal work in this recording is of very high quality, (particularly the Irene of Wennberg, which I find spectacular, in the few moments she has to show her stuff, particularly the last act) I was a little disappointed by some of the orchestral passages, especially the overture, where I think Hollreiser fails to get enough bite out of the brass. On the whole though, a very enjoyable work at a good price!

Revision of previously submitted review. I did not give proper credit to the key solo performers, wish to clarify my comments on this.

A music fan from Northern Virginia , April 9, 1999 (Review revised from March 24 submission).

Outstanding performance of great dramatic opera

Rienzi has great orchestral music, but the best parts are the wonderful choral passages which leave the listener humming for hours. The key soloists (Rene Kollo, Siv Wennberg) take a highly dramatic approach using their rather unique vocal styles, for an overall highly effective impact. The acoustics are modern throughout, and the "presence" of the recording is excellent. I didn't expect to like this recording much, but I have listened to it about once per month since buying it; and I have given it as a gift to seven other opera lovers. As the only full performance available, it is a MUST HAVE for every lover of Wagnerian opera, especially at the budget price (for 3 CDs). Wish it were available as a video, but sadly, no video of Rienzi is currently available (HINT, HINT to opera recording companies).

If you like this Rienzi, you will also like Kollo's performance of Wagner's Tannhauser, conducted by Georg Solti. Recorded 5 years before Rienzi, Kollo's singing in Tannhauser reflects noticeably greater vocal quality. The Amazon.com professional review of this Tannhauser gave it raves, but after listening back-to-back to Rienzi and Tannhauser with Kollo singing, it was difficult to chose between the "sleeper" gem Rienzi and the better-known Tannhauser. In the end, I gave the nod to Tannhauser because of the incredible performance of Christa Ludwig in her absolute vocal prime singing the role of Venus. Even so, both recordings are "must haves" for Wagner lovers. Thank, you, amazon.com, for allowing opera lovers to keep each other informed about these great recordings.

One last thought, the thrill of hearing the opening four chords of the Tannhauser overture following an extended absence away from the opera is a very special treat, the same type of unique musical signature as the opening of Beethoven's fifth symphony.

Rienzi has great orchestral music, but the best parts are the wonderful choral passages which leave the listener humming for hours. The soloists take a highly dramatic approach if not possessing the highest possible vocal quality, for an overall highly effective impact. The acoustics are modern throughout, and the "presence" of the recording is excellent. I didn't expect to like this recording much, but I have listened to it about once per month since buying it; and I have given it as a gift to seven other opera lovers. As the only full performance available, it is a MUST HAVE for every lover of Wagnerian opera, especially at the budget price (for 3 CDs). Wish it were available as a video, but sadly, no video of Rienzi is currently available (HINT, HINT to opera recording companies).