Customer Reviews

Wagner - Gotterdammerung / Levine, Behrens, Jerusalem, Metropolitan Opera [VHS]

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

 

 

I have to disagree strongly with Khan in his 2000 review. The performance (which I have seen live in New York four times) is remarkable in every way, and if you really want to hear every note Wagner wrote (read that as I followed the score while watching the video), THIS is the video to have. Regarding Khan's review, this is the Metropolitan Opera, NOT the NY Philharmonic. Secondly, Wagner is NOT Sturm und Drang. This designation is given to the Classical period of German lierature, NOT the Late Romantic period in music. I would find this reviewer more credible if he knew what he was talking about, but clearly he doesn't....

Just to set the record absolutely straight, the rest of the cast, apart from the three principals whose names are mentioned elsewhere, are as follows: Ekkehard Wlaschiha as Alberich, Hanna Lisowska as Gutrune, Christa Ludwig as Waltraute; Gweneth Bean, Joyce Castle and Andrea Gruber as the First, Second and Third Norns; and Kaaren Erickson, Diane Kesling and Meredith Parsons as Woglinde, Wellgunde and Flosshilde.

Opinion is sharply divided among other reviewers of the merits of the performances of Hildegard Behrens and Siegfried Jerusalem. My own personal opinion is that she acted the role very well but was a little lacking in power. She sounded better in the same role at the Bayreuth 1976 Ring under Georg Solti due in part to the more favourable balancing of the large orchestra. In my view only a Heldensoprano with a huge voice - such as Nilsson - can really be heard to good advantage in an opera house with an open orchestra pit. In spite of that, I enjoyed her interpretation, I found it had some of the same "feminine"/weibliche qualities as did that of Gwyneth Jones under Boulez, but with more accurate and reliable intonation. Siegfried Jerusalem's performance was again well acted but the vocal quality was debatable; to me he sounded fresher than Manfred Jung as Siegfried under Boulez, but still was not very lyrical. The best I have heard in modern stereo - again a personal choice only - would be Alberto Remedios under Goodall (sung in English). It would also be interesting to hear Ben Heppner or Placido Domingo in that role, I think they both have the potential to outsing Jerusalem. I wholeheartedly concur with earlier favourable comments about Matti Salminen as Hagen, one of the greatest roles Wagner ever created. The rest of the cast is effective, notably Ludwig. I enjoyed Levine's reading of the score and he keeps a brisk but unforced tempo. The playing is excellent.

Speacial kudos to Gunther Schneider-Siemssen, the set and projection designer. This work looked very convincing in a traditional manner, and the whole Immolation Scene looked very impressive indeed. The overall sound quality was excellent. Total playing time was 4 hours and 41 minutes.

This is probably the best video version of Gotterdammerung out there. The singers and orchestra are all fine. However, after hearing the Solti and Barenboim Gotterdammerung, this video is somewhat bland in comparison, so I rarely watch it now.

If you are new to the ring, start here, but otherwise go with an audio performance.

I have to disagree strongly with Khan in his 2000 review. The performance (which I have seen live in New York four times) is remarkable in every way, and if you really want to hear every note Wagner wrote (read that as I followed the score while watching the video), THIS is the video to have. Regarding Khan's review, this is the Metropolitan Opera, NOT the NY Philharmonic. Secondly, Wagner is NOT Sturm und Drang. This designation is given to the Classical period of German lierature, NOT the Late Romantic period in music. I would find this reviewer more credible if he knew what he was talking about, but clearly he doesn't....

I was offended by that cheap stab at Siegfried Jerusalem that the other reviewer felt compelled to throw in his otherwise fine comments. Mr. Jerusalemis a fine heldentenor and a wonderful actor. Nowhere in this preformance does he not give it his all; and if he makes mistakes it must be remembered that this is a LIVE PERFORMANCE so not everything is going to go according to plan. It's hard enough to get anyone who can look half-way decent and can sing the role well. So all in all Siegfried Jerusalem is a fine tenor.

Matti Salminen (Hagen) is an anatomical miracle. He is among heavyweight bellowers as Magic Johnson was among ball players, as Akebono was among sumo wrestlers. He is the child of a church bell and a police siren.

And he specializes in playing assassins.

Everyone else is great--except for Siegfried Jerusalem, who has surely acheived the record for embarrassing himself vocally in front of the largest audience in world history. But if you watch him carefully you'll see him accidentally drop the ring into Hildegard Behrens' blouse and retrieve it just in time for her to point at it and scream "Ahhhhhh! Der Ring! An diener hand!"

It's on the whole a boring production. I don't mind the rather conservative scenary, which, in fact is quite good. However, the whole thing is uninpiringly directed. The singers are just adequate. Jerusalem is mediocre and Behrens, I'm afraid, has insufficient voice for Brunnhilde. Ultimately, the Met's orchestra under Levine saves the day. But on the whole, it's still rather unsatisfactory.

This is the fourth and final opera in Wagner's "Ring" series which revolves aroung the golden ring of the Nibelung____supposedly a source of ultimate world power . I found this effort by the NY philharmonic under James Levine rather stilted and leaden . Hildegard Behrens gives a competent performance but has hardly the true "Nordic" looks to give that extra oomph to the ambience of the opera____one can only wish that some day Brunnhilde will be played by a true nordic beauty (a Caudia Schiffer lookalike will be perfect!) with a voice to match . Siegfried Jerusalem's Siegfried is ineffectual and anemic.The only actor who excells in his role is Matti Salminen : his Hagen is perfect .The set design is o.k but the final self-immolation scene of Brunnhilde is laughable ___just a series of firecrackers and cheap lightening ! Hardly the stuff of Wagnerian Sturm und drang .