Customer Reviews

Wagner ·Terfel: Berliner Philharmoniker / Abbado

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I heard Mr. Terfel sign the "Leb wohl" scene at Ravinia two summers ago. So, when I heard he was putting out a Wagner CD I was very excited.

Unlike a previous review, I find it refreshing that we have a bass-baritone who doesn't find it necessary to shout Wagnerian music. Remember when Placido Domingo first ventured into Wagner - many said his voice was too light. In fact he turned into one of the great Parsifals and Lohengrins of this generation because he actually sang the music instead of shouting the music. I believe Terfel will do the same. He is not only a gifted and singer, he is a highly intelligent man who will most certainly use his voice and talent wisely. I believe this disc is showing that already.

I do agree that the characters need to be deepened - that will come with experience and time on stage.

For now, I'm perfectly happening listening to beautiful sounds being made by a delightful human being.

Here's a disc to get Wagnerians salivating at the prospect of great things to come. Despite numerous and, no doubt, lucrative offers, Bryn Terfel wisely resisted the lure of the big Wagnerian roles until he felt he and his voice were ready for them. Apparently we have, in part, to thank Solti's wise words of warning for that. There is no doubt that here is potentially one of the great Wagnerian bass-baritones in the making, worthy to be compared with van Rooy, Schorr and Hotter. Terfel has the ability and the taste to sing with the kind of bel canto line that Wagner always said he wanted but, alas, has so seldom received.

But! It is still early days and there are times in this collection when a lack of stage experience in these parts shows. Yes, the singing is consistenly beautiful with the characteristic Terfel traits of wonderfully floated mezza voces and ringing top notes (listen to the end of the Dutchman's aria).

However, the depth of characterisation is sometimes lacking. Amfortas' anguish is too generalised. Sachs' understanding of mankind's foibles in the Wahnmonolog derives from the specific text rather than the character as a whole. Wotan, who undergoes the great sea-change in his character that turns him into the resigned Wanderer of Siegfried at precisely this point in Walkure (the Farewell), is still too much the angry, bitter Wotan of Act II and the beginning of Act III. (Remember, this disc was made before he embarked on his first stage performances.) Compare Terfel at "der freie als ich, der Gott: one freer than I, the God" - a forte outburst of resentment from Bryn's god: with Hotter, an infinitely moving patina of resignation colours the voice. Nevertheless, Terfel's ban on fearful fire-invaders at the end is hugely stirring.

It is, perhaps, the earlier Wagner that fares best. The Dutchman's Monologue, which he has recorded before with Levine, is hair-raising in the best sense. Wolfram's Song to the Evening Star is sublime. Even Sachs' Fliedermonolog, part of Terfel's repertoire since the famous head-to-head with Hvorostovsky in Cardiff, is sung with sensitivity and a wonderful sense of line. Amfortas perhaps lies a little high for his voice. Gurnemanz will, I think, prove to be the Parsifal part for him - a pity maybe that he didn't give us the Good Friday Scene instead of the Amfortas monologues. The orchestral accompaniments from Abbado and the Berlin Philharmonic are, like the voice, stronger on beauty of tone than characterisation, but they get the recital off to a rousing start with a fine live performance of the Hollander Overture.

All in all, then, an appetising taster of (hopefully) things to come, a must for Wagnerians and Terfelians alike, but I feel sure there are greater performances to come from Terfel in this repertoire (witness his recent Wotan at Covent Garden and the Proms) - especially when he tackles complete roles rather than 'bleeding chunks'.

I was so excited to find out that Bryn Terfel was releasing an album of Wagner arias that I marked it on my calendar. As most Bryn Terfel fans will agree, he never disappoints. This album has quickly become my favorite Terfel album. Opera fans have waited quite some time to get the privilege of hearing Bryn tackle much Wagner, particularly Wotan. He come through with flying colors-- his voice is as ever, strong, lush, and sensitive to the music and the words he sings. Sometimes, it seems that the voices of Wagnerian singers cannot in tone match the beauty of the music. Bryn succeeds in doing so, though the accompanying orchestra is marvelous as well. I cannot wait to see Terfel on stage in the roles he sings on this cd, particularly as the Flying Dutchman and Wotan, though I am sure it will be some time before Terfel deems himself fully ready. Once he does, however, I have no doubt he will be a stunning success.

So perfect in Mozart's Figaro and Verdi's Falstaff, it would seem Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel's vocal pedigree would be stamped for approval in the baritone roles of Richard Wagner's music dramas. What was so thrilling in his initial recordings of Schubert lieder, English art song literature and Richard Rodgers musical theatre melodies has accidentally fallen into the vocal palette with which this great singer has chosen to paint his Wagnerian characters, and in doing so, much is lost. In those earlier releases, Mr. Terfel's whittling down of his vocal resources to express caresses, whispers, and sighs brought colors which stood out greatly against his vocal declamations, cries and peals of laughter. However, in Wagnerian music these characteristics seem as out of place as might the use of Shakespearean cant in a television sitcom. Fortunately for the listener, Mr. Terfel does not limit himself to painting with these conversational brush strokes, but allows himself at moments of climax the type of full-bodied vocalism that one might expect from an operatic artist of his vocal eminence. These concerns aside, Mr. Terfel simply sounds too young for all of these roles, save Tannhauser's Wolfram, a role he has performed onstage. Perhaps hearing himself in this recording is what propelled Mr. Terfel to delay the assumption of Hans Sachs in Die Meistersinger, a role he was slated to sing as early as 2003. Another decade of vocal maturity will do much to enhance the Wagnerian performances of a singer who has already proved himself to be a member of the vocal pantheon.

Though this album is a solid introduction to the manner in which Bryn Terfel approaches the Wagnerian roles, it is satisfying to find that seven years after the release of this album this fine artist has grown into the roles he samples here. But first to this recording. The combination of Terfel with Claudio Abbado and the Berlin Philharmonic is about kas secure as recording gets. The balance between the size of Terfel's voice and his amazing tendency to obey the dynamic markings of this well known pieces (especially his ability to sing pianissimo and still transmit the intensity of Wagner's great characters) coupled with the obvious collaboration with Abbado and the Berliners is rather extraordinary. And electing to open the album with the overture to 'Der fliegende Holländer' is a wise one and sets the timbre for the rest of the dramatic recital. Terfel's singing of 'Die Frist ist um' is at once menacing and lonely and shows the quality of his voice well. And his excerpts from 'Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg', especially the famous 'Was duftet doch der Flieder' demonstrates Terfel has a fine sense of tenderness and comic lightness that lifts this aria to a higher realm.

Now seven years later Bryn Terfel, in concert with the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen the promises suggested here have been kept and Bryn Terfel is now a consummate musician. His selections - 'Was duftet doch der Flieder' form Meistersinger, 'Wie Todesahnung Dämmrung deckt die Lande - O du mein holder Abendstern' from Tannhäuser, and finally his sensitive interpretation of Wotan's Farewell 'Leb wohl, du kühnes, herrliches Kind! ' from Die Walküre - show a maturity not only in the darker qualities of his vocal production but aslo in his range of expression. Many will argue both from this album and from his current work with the LA Phil that his Wotan is not 'bass' enough, but what Terfel does with the tenderness of aria brings tears form the audience. He is clearly one of our most important singers of the day and this album will always be considered a collectors item. Grady Harp, November 10

Well, what can one say after waiting so long? I expected to be awash in this gorgeous voice, with wave after wave of beauty. The impression that I actually had, after all was sung and done, was that Mr. Terfel is not a Wagnerian. The voice is certainly beautiful, but it simply lacks the heroic thrill I was looking for (and waiting for all these years). He sounds pressed at times, like the voice has no more to give. This also has to be the most overinterpreted Wagner I have heard. It has a certain lieder quality to it, but her it is excessive finesse, subtle delicacy and shading for no purpose, when the grander line is indicated. It is worth having, but not listening to over and over for the sheer joy of beauty.

I am a relative newcomer to Wagner, but I'm already tired of singers (basses especially) who wobble and bark their way through the composer's glorious music. Bryn Terfel in his new Wagner CD offers a corrective to that style of "singing." Terfel's voice has grown in size and weight over the past several years, which means that it is now a more apt instrument for Wagner's music. His voice remains firm, round, warm, sweet, and above all, STEADY. I do notice some brief moments of strain on loud notes in what sounds like his upper-middle register -- but this is nothing compared to the harsh tones produced by some Wagnerian basses I've heard, past and present. On the whole, it is extremely gratifying to hear this music so beautifully sung.
I must disagree with those who find the selections dramatically bland. In the Dutchman's monologue, Terfel sounds more "inside" the role than he did when he performed the excerpt on his 1995 "Opera Arias" CD (but that was an amazing piece of singing, too!). "O du, mein holder Abenstern", which he also sang (superbly) on "Opera Arias," is here spun out with the utmost beauty of tone, suggesting Wolfram's love for Elizabeth. I also agree with the previous reviewer who thought Terfel's rendition of Wotan's Farewell emotionally "wrenching without distracting from the music." For me this track was the biggest surprise of all: Terfel's delivery has a tenderness such as I have never quite heard from him before. But I do believe that Terfel's SINGING is the main reason to buy this CD; as for the characterizations, they can only deepen as Terfel performs these roles onstage. I think he is wise, though, not to rush into them, as he is still quite young.

Perhaps I'm lacking in the sophistication with which this recording's declaimers are over-endowed... I thought Terfel's Wotan was brilliant, my favorite since Hotter, with a freshness of voice that gives me a glimpse of what Hotter must have been and of what Terfel *will* be. I disagree that "Leb' wohl..." is overcome by anger at the beginning. I found the emotion throughout wrenching without distracting from the music. I also think Terfel's Dutchman has become more chilling, desolate and powerful since the Levine recording. I hope I'm still around when Bryn tackles Wotan for real, but for now I'm happy to have this much. :)

Bryn Terfel is one of the finest serious, classical singers of our time. His voice is lush and smooth, sweet and strong. His presence on stage is commanding and theatrical. Claudio Abbado is a great conductor. And this CD of Wagner arias is quite beautiful, produced wonderfully with great, crisp, clean sound. Why then, is the CD also quite dull? I don't have the answer, but I do know that after several listenings, I do not hear Terfel the great interpreter; only Terfel the great singer. Perfection isn't easy, but then it isn't terribly interesting, either.
Also, since the CD was recorded to let Terfel's fans hear him do a full program of Wagner arias and scenes, was it really necessary to have the purely orchestral overture to "The Flying Dutchman" start off the CD? Wasn't there another aria for Terfel to record?
By the way, if you want to hear Terfel the interpreter as well as the singer, you could do alot worse than investing in the 2CD set of Verdi's "Falstaff" that he recently recorded.

I must confess to being a complete beginner when it comes to Wagner. This made me a little nervous purchasing this cd, the only thing inducing me being the fact that it was Bryn. From the first listen to the most recent this recording (and Wagner's music) has steadily grown on me. I might be in agreement with some of the other reviewers on some of the issue's they took, such as the voice being light. Yet that agreement relates only to the fact and not the effect which is one I believe to be of extraordinary beauty. "Leb wohl, du kuhnes, herrliches Kind!" has become a genuine favorite of mine and I'll leave it to more knowledgable reviewers to point me to what they believe to be the quintessential recordings of this work. As I say, I know what I like and this I love. For those who, like me, were Bryn fans before Wagner, I highly recommend this recording. Both as a must have in your Terfel collection, and as an excellent primer and introduction to Wagner.