Customer Reviews

Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)

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

 

 

I had to think more than twice before purchasing this recording, especially since it isnt at a budget price, but I dont regret having done so. Wagner's original German language opera sung in English might seem more like a novelty recording (or a horrifying experience to hardcore Wagner fans) than a serious approach to the music, but surprisingly it works (for the most part). For the listener who doesn't speak and understand German this is a great way to understand Wagner's opera, as the connection between text and drama is made clearer--though I sometimes wish the singers diction and pronunciation were a bit clearer--but hey, its still opera and a complete English only libretto is included (along with a scene by scene summary of the drama, a summary of the preceding two operas, and an essay and photos of this particular project). Overall the orchestra and conducting is up to par and the sound is clear, balanced, and spacious, the only annoying thing being the audience clapping after the end of each act--its a live 1975 recording. While this is no substitute for the original in German, think of it as a great resource ... to understanding Wagner's opera cycle for listeners without the time or inclination to learn German.

As good as his die Walkure is, Goodall's Siegfried is even better. For me this is the most difficult opera of the entire Ring and Goodall pulls it off with honors indeed. Remedios is a wonder! Wish we had had him in the Met Ring Cycles of the past decade. Hunter again is a wonder with beauty and strength of tone. Once more I enjoy Bailey. I found That Alan Blyth in Gramophone 5/01 and I seem to appreciate him. It would seem that Goodall gives this opera all the wonderful performance it needs. Not an easy show to pull off. This recording absolutely belongs in any Wagnerian's collection. Had I been at this live performance, I definitely would not have fallen asleep and would have regretted its coming to its inevitable end. And the orchestra rises to the occasion splendidly. From Siegfried's climb to Brunhilde's rock until the end of the duet, the orchestral playing is rich, very moving bordering on the monumental just because it is live and thus more of a risk than a studio recording. Hunter is nothing short of stunning. The duet alone makes the recording a must have. Too bad artists are not fully appreciated until we no longer have them around to enjoy. Thank God this is on CD to be enjoyed at the listener's command.

The Reginald Goodall SIEGFRIED in an English translation by Andrew Porter is surely one of the finest of all Wagner recordings. It originated in live performances after much preparation and coaching at ENO. Porter's translation is a revelation, clarifying and in most cases, beautifying the archaic German that the composer adopted in writing his epic. The production was recorded during live performances and it crackles with dramatic electricity. Singing is constantly engaged and passionate, and especially in the case of the set's Wotan, Norman Bailey, it sometimes reaches greatness. What is consistently great is the majestic conducting of Goodall. Never has the prologue to the opera so atmospherically evoked the dark forests in which Siegfried lives. The opera is played in huge arcs of sound that move slower than seems possible but still retain tension and drive. The encounter between Wotan and Erda with its stormy prelude is breathtaking in its majesty and in the sheer golden brown buzz of Bailey's voice. No other recording of the opera has so persuasively argued that SIEGFRIED, the least popular opera of the Ring, is indeed a great dramatic work of art and music. A truly superb achievement

This is completely worth it. Other reviews aptly pointed out everything good, and this *is* good--brilliant. Alberto Remedios is the best Siegfried I've ever heard, and Rita Hunter is a stunning and convincing Brunnhilde. If I could give this more than five stars, I would.

Here we have the third installment (or "Second Day") in the Ring Cycle. And this recording by Goodall and the English National Opera is . . . well, let me explain.

Thre are grandiose Siegfred recordings out there, like Karl Bohm with the Bayreuth Festival, Marek Janowski with the Staatskapelle Dresden, and Klemens Krauss with the Bayreuth Festival. This one isn't one of them. Not to say that it is a wreck. There are some nice touches here, but pros are a bit below the cons.

First off, I don't mind the slow tempi in Rhinegold and Valkyrie, but here it doesn't work for me. The Forging Scene is never good in a slow speed, and Act Three Prelude sounds way too dull (I can't imagine a thunderstorm that would sound like this). Also, Gregory Dempsey as Mime is terrible. He doesn't have the fear or the anger that the character is supposed to be described as. When the Wanderer's final question is heard, and he goes wild with fear, there is no fear in Dempsey's voice. And when he tries to give Siegfried the poisoned drink, there's no hidden personality. This Mime fails miserably.

And then we have the other singers, and they make this recording worth a listen. Norman Bailey is a believable Wanderer, and he ravishes the ears whenever he sings. Rita Hunter as Brunnhilde sounds absolutely gorgeous. She has the voice all right. And Alberto Remedios as Siegfried gives a fine performance here; I like it very much.

So there's the good and there's the bad when it comes to Goodall's "Siegfried." But it all becomes so much better when the Third Day comes.

The Box Set: Wagner: The Ring Cycle (Box Set)
-The Rhinegold (Part 1): Wagner: The Rhinegold
-The Valkyrie (Part 2): Wagner: The Valkyrie
-Twilight of the Gods (Part 4): The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)

Yes, we all know that Reginal Goodall's Wagner is VERY deliberate (read slow) at times. When I heard the late Rita Hunter singing in Sydney in the 80s, I asked her about working with Maestro Goodall, she said he was one of the most thorough and demanding conductor's you could wish to work with.

For me, this whole cycle is desert island material because the English translation is just superb. Fine singing and marvellous playing from the ENO orchestra.

I realize that the overwhelming majority opinion not only here but elsewhere on this recording is very positive. The Penguin writers believe this to be the most successful performance of the Goodall cycle.

Gregory Dempsey gives in my view the worst performance of Mime I have ever heard. I was not expecting him to be as good as Gerhard Stolze for Solti, but he wasn't even close. As indeed noted elsewhere his whining tone is irritating, and this goes beyond vocal acting. When he is finally dispatched late in Act 2, I was indeed relieved. I also found Rita Hunter's voice had a pronounced beat in practically every line she sang, in spite of tremendous accuracy and power - and this in my view was because of the very slow tempo. I didn't care much for Anne Collins as Erda either. As for Goodall, I found the performance dragged on a bit too much, even allowing for the slow tempo. As also noted elsewhere, the Act I forging scene music was plodding along - not convincing. There were at least one or two moments in Siegfried's ascent of the Valkyrie Rock where the music stopped entirely. The orchestral playing was affected by the strain of the tempo as well - this performance lasted about 4 hours and 40 minutes.

In my view the most effective part of the orchestral score was Act II. The opening, featuring the sound of Fafner, was the most ominous and intense of any performance I have ever heard of this opera. The Forest Murmurs were wonderful taken very slowly too. For me this Act was the best part of the opera, in spite of Mime. Derek Hammond-Stroud was again excellent as Alberich. Clifford Grant was fine as the Dragon - very menacing. Even Maurine London as the Woodbird was excellent - not in the league of Joan Sutherland, but pretty close.

Alberto Remedios has received unaminous praise for his Siegfried. So too has Norman Bailey as the Wanderer. I concur. The Wanderer's role, vocally and orchestrally, has never in my view sounded better. When Bailey was singing about Valhalla in Act I, the moment was truly magisterial. The English text was well presented and made the whole performance more listenable during the stretches where it was dragging along. As before, the balance between voices and orchestra was superb.

The audience at the end of the very long performance was almost rapturous. Had there been a better Mime and just a little more pace in the reading in Acts I and III, I might have felt the same way. It was nonetheless an enjoyable performance, especially for fans of Remedios and Bailey.