Customer Reviews

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - Wagner: Ride of the Valkyries

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This CD contains one of the best recordings of "The Ride of Valkyries" and "Siegfried-Idyll".

Vernon Handley is a very sensitive conductor, especially in Vaughan-Williams (with Adrian Boult) and Elgar. But these performances are also very good; still he conducted complete "Der Ring des Nibelungen". The tempo in "The Ride of Valkyries" is may be a little slow, but this isn't bad and it isn't disturbing. Scored for very large ensemble (as usual in Ring) ex: quadruple woodwinds, 8 horns, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, Wagner-Tubas, Contrabass-Tuba etc.

Especially, I like the performance of "Siegried-Idyll". Still this work, (I think) may be the best composition of Wagner (better than his operas!). And there are, as you know, some themes from the opera "Siegfried". Still this work was written in same period with "The Ring".

At this price, this is a must have.
Highly recommended.

I totally agree with the other reviewer here that this is a terrific disc that will give you a good sample of Wagner's music. I've got it on my CD player right now, and am impressed again by the great performance by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Vernon Handley. I bought a couple dozen or more of this classical music series issued by the Royal Philharmonic in the 1990s, and am pleased with all of them. They're hard to beat in this low price range, and the series is a great way for someone to build up a classical collection on a modest budget. On this Wagner disc I'm especially pleased with the Tannhauser Overture, since the version here is the complete overture version that I came to love as a teenager. There's another common version that takes the overture and changes the last minute or so to segue into other music from the opera, but I prefer the complete overture version that is on this disc so was very glad to secure a recording of it. Also, the inclusion of the comparatively rare Siegfried Idyll provides welcome variety to the disc with its long, searching nature (run time 18:20 on that piece). Sound quality here is fine too, clear without being harsh, and with a good balance of the orchestra. Overall run time is a quite generous 64:52. Highly recommended, especially at this great price.