Customer Reviews

Wagner: Gotterdammerung

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4 star:		(3)
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As the 3rd act (and finale) of the Ring cycle (with Walkure being act 1, Siegfried as act 2, and Rheingold as a prelude), it contains some of the most powerful music by Wagner, and needless to say, some of the most powerful music.

What is meant by powerful? Well, it is literal: This opera is full of power, in both its drama and its music. As such, it requires powerful singing, a powerful hand to control the music, and musicianship that can rise to the level needed to bring the impact of the power of this work to its fullest. The Solti Gotterdammerung does precisely that.

Gotterdammerung also contains some basic orchestral standards that are unsurpassed in this recording:

1. Dawn and Siegfried's Journey to the Rhine--The only comparable version I've heard of this piece is Furtwangler's, and his "Dawn" is just amazing! Solti comes close, which is quite good. Furthermore, the pace and power of the Rhine music is just right. The brass (often dominant) and the strings (with their sweep) are intricately balanced. The net effect is extremely thrilling.

2. Siegfried's March--A difficult piece to conduct right. The version captured here is actually at a faster pace than Solti wanted, but Culshaw wanted the music to flow strongly. I agree with the assessment, and as a result, we have a fantastic interpretation of a potentially delicate piece. Too slow, and the effect is lost; too fast, and there is a lack of the severity and solemnity of the scene.

3. Immolation Scene--This is where "the fat lady sings." Many of the leitmotifs of the opera come together in massive interweaving of thrilling music. It is sometimes difficult music to listen to in the sense that there is considerable amount of chromaticism employed. The so-called "redemption" motif is underneath Brunnhilde's last words to her love for Siegfried, but its harmonic progression is unsettled, even agonizing. The same goes for the heavy brass used in the actual twilight section after the immolation, where the "Valhalla" motif rises ever higher in each bar, but the chords denote tension. Nonetheless, this is among the most powerful pieces of music ever written, and it could be argued that there was just no other way to achieve the incredible effect of a tragic ending, followed by the hope of the redemption motif.

While these pieces are very powerful in their own right, there is very little "filler" in this opera. There are many parts that are thrilling and powerful in their own right. But to pull of the entire opera and all its glorious and tragic moments, many things must work together to achieve the pinnacle. This Decca set captures all of those, namely: Solti's dynamic directing, the VPO's amazing orchestral performance, and the singers' vocals all rise to the occasion. An added benefit is John Culshaw's vision actually bringing this work to its fullest fruition.

The result is an amazing effort overall. Although I consider the Decca Siegfried the closest to perfection (see my review there), this is a very close second. It is truly a work that can be savored at different levels.

Lucky enough to hear the Met's recent "Ring" production, I found this recording absolutely breathtaking. With Solti no longer with us, it is sometimes easy to forget the energy he brought to every piece of music he performed. No more so than with Wagner and "Gotterdammerung." He gives the music so much power and bite that it feels like a living thing. And the remastered recording is simply superb. The incomparable Nilsson's voice floats over the entire endeavor with a musicality that is remarkable given the vocal demands of the opera. For me, though, Windgassen's Siegfried stole the show. It feels at times that he is laughing at Wagner's vocal pyrotechnics. This is truly a recording for the ages.

The definite conclusion to the Ring Cycle is found here: Gotterdammerung. This is probably the most bombastic rendition I've ever heard. Not even Bohm as enough bombast that's found here. But anyway, this is a mixed bag.

PROS: The orchestra and singers and fantastic. Vienna Philhamronic never ceases to keep my attention directly into the story. Windgassen, Nilsson, Neidlinger, Frick, and others are what make this Ring truly special.

CONS: The bombastic power can be very off-putting to some people. And the sound effects are completely unecessary: I'd rather have the effects in a live recording, thank you very much.

Nevertheless, this is a provocative achievement from Solti and John Culshaw. Sorry I had to keep this review short, but I hope this is still helpful commentary.

Das Rheingold: Das Rheingold
Die Walkure: Die Walkure
Siegfried: Siegfried

Box Set: Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen (Ring Cycle) / Sir Georg Solti

The solists are stunning, and the choral work in Gotterdammerung is superb. Solti works so well with this orchestra, and this is my favorite recording of this incredible and vast work. I have listened many, many times. One never tires through repeated listenings. What an orchestra! What a conductor! What a soloists! A brilliant and stunning recording!

I was a Wagner fan nearly before I understood a thing about opera. How could that have been, you may ask. It was the result of seeing that the Fat Lady With Horns actually came from his operas! I fell in love with the immolation scene when first exposed to it in a movie called Interrupted Melody, about the life of Marjorie Lawrence. Later a friend gave me a record set introducing the London recording of the ring. I was hooked. When I finally bought the whole of the ring cycle ( which was very expensive ) I was thrilled! I love Gotterdammerung best of all. I bought the score just so I could follow it. What I really love about this recording, other than the wonderful voices singing in it, is the faithful reading of Wagner's score. Yes, I mean faithful! We don't have the Niceties of the Karajan recordings, but the real crudeties Wagner intended with the use of SteerHorns in the second act! They add a thrill that I have never gotten over! The drama is thrilling and pulsating, no dull hours of boring heavy uneventful nothing, which Wagner can easily slip into. The underlying hate and jealousy in the minds of the characters is very much alive! I have bought many of the newer recordings of the Ring, and quite frankly, even if some of them are conducted with more clarity in the orchestra, none, not even the one given with the cast that lead the broadcast performances given from the Met, are as immediate or as thrilling as this recording is. It is still the best buy ( and the only one which is faithful to Wagner -- steerhorns, Wagner never accepted the use of trombones in their place! ).

I own the whole Solti set of The Ring- and it is wonderful. Like the previous reviewer, Gotterdammerung is my favorite part of The Ring. It is so beautiful and this is the definitive recording of this piece of The Ring!

The Immolation Scene is incredible and the last five minutes is the loudest, the softest, the most thrilling, and the most beautiful music I have ever heard. It leaves me in complete awe.

Both Siegfried and Gotterdammerung are incredible, and I'm glad I bought the whole set. If you go in a music store you can get the whole thing for the price of Siegfried and Gotterdammerung, and you want them both. Das Rheingold and Die Walkure are amazing too.

I would recommend this recording but the whole Solti set would be more wise. For if you love this opera- you will want the whole set.

I remember in the Sixties when this Gotterdammerung came out and was greeted with lavish praise for its dramatic power, the impact of the sound, the incomparable Brunnhilde of Nilsson, and the thrust of Solti's conducting. In every way it was the crowning glory of his entire Ring cycle (though not the last installment to be recorded.) After a decade of mostly indifferent playing, the Vienna Phil. also emerged into its real glroy.

After a gritty, nasty ADRM remastering in the mid-Eighties, Decca has brought out this newly remastered digital version that sounds very good, if not quite up to the original LPs in terms of naturalness and "air" around the singers.

It was generally felt at the time that Solti's Gotterdammerung would never be surpassed, and so it has proved. Karajan's competing cycle from Berlin culminated in a decent Gotterdammerung, but the Siegfried was weak, even compared to the aging but skillful Windgassen, and Helga Dernesch, though a fine dramatic soprano, couldn't compete with Nilsson.

So this is it, still the only Gotterdmmerung with world-class casting and magnificent stduio sound. There are days when I curse Solti for his brutality on the podium, but on the whole I remain very grateful to everyone involved.

P.S. (Jan. 2008)

With the appearance of a live Bayreuth Gotterdammerung on the Testament label, Solti's set received its first serious competition in the modern era. I thought it might be useful to offer a buyer's comparison between the two rivals.

I was prepared not to find this Gotterdammerung superior to, or even equal to, the preceding Siegfried from the same source, but one listen told me that all is well. Solti's Gotterdammerung is one of the recordings of the century (I read one poll where it was voted THE recording of the century). Yet for overall dramatic effect, Keliberth also leads an inspiring performance. Since Testament is asking a dear price for this historic set, it might be worthwhile to compare the two rivals.

Solti: The overwhelming element here has always been the Vienna Phil, recorded in sumptuous grandeur by Decca. For sweep and epic proportion, no one has come close to matching them. The next great thrill comes from Nilsson, a Brunnhilde of incomparable power and gleaming penetration in hre voice. Solti gives us his best effort in Wagner, and among the supporting roles the Waltraute (Christa Ludwig), Gunther (Fischer-Dieskau), Alberich (Neidlinger) and Hagen (Frick) cannot be faulted. Windgassen's voice had become worn and leathery over the years, and his aging Siegfried, although highly experiened and musical, isn't a pleasure to listen to for beauty of voice or youthfulness. (It sounds considerably more taxed, however, in the live Bayreuth set under Bohm on Philips.)

It must be remembered that the stereo era hadn't seen a complete Gotterdammerung before Solti's pioneering effort, which stunned the classical music world in the early Sixties. After four decades, it remains undiminished and sells for reduced price is various reissues. One should seek out the latest remastering, since the original ADRM version from the early Eighties sounds thin and shrill compared to the original LPs.

Keilberth: Decca also recorded this 1955 live Gotterdammerung, which would be the standard to this day if they hadn't rejected it and moved on to record Solti seven years later. The decision made sense at the time. Although the sonics are fine for a live performance, we hear some audience and stage noise, and the occasional fluff in the Bayreuth orchestra, which in any event isn't the equal of the Vienna Phil. by a long stretch. (Test Siegfried's Rhine Journey with its blatty brass, distant horn, and thin, scambling strings.)

Keilberth does one of his best jobs coducting, but he is proficient and experienced rather than inspired. At moments he manages to excel himself, as in the riveting Calling of the Vassals, a hair-raaising episode with chorus and orchestra in full cry. Keilberth has one good trait that the hard-driving Solti lacks, a flexible, expressive beat. I especially liked the opening scene of the opera with the three Norns, which he keeps from dawdling. But at times Keilberth is too anxious to move forward, and the great set pieces of the Rhine Journey, Funeral March, and Immolation Scene lack the grandeur and technical polish of studio recordings.

In the cast the standout is Astrid Varnay as Brunnhilde, who sings with passion and commitment, and whose voice, although not conventionally beautiful, is womanly yet heroic and gleaming enough to encompass the role (she doesn't get overly tired by the end and remains resplendent in the Immolation Scene). Windgassen is nearly as good--he and Varnay were frequently paird and had made duet recordings of Wagner for DG, newly reissued. His voice was fresh in 1955, and he shows considerable stamina during the Act 1 love duet. In the end Windgassen was only an almost-Heldentenor, but we haven't seen his like as Siegfried since, so I can't complain too much about his unlovely timbre. The supporting cast is nearly as strong as for Solti, with Neidlinger repeating his signature Alberich. Decca's microhones capture the voices onstage quite realistically and with minimal fade-out due to stage movements.

Overall, Keilberth's interpreatation goes for momentum and propulsion, which is fine over such a long evening, while Solti gives us richness, epic sweep, and the incomparable beauty of the VPO. I am not aobut to make recommendations between the two sets. Many of us who love Gotterdammerung have owned the Solti forever, so it's wonderful to get a second bite of the apple. We'll own both and be greateful.

A number of days ago, a friend of mine asked me what I deem as the greatest recording of the century. I paused to think about this for a while because there were certainly several things about this question that challenges a listener of classical music to peruse an enormous discography that not only includes operas and symphonies but also chamber music, solo instrumentals, choral work, and the like. It is difficult to be judicious about this, because all of these genres are as different as night and day especially when it pertains to assessing the qualities that make a recording great.

The challenge is made greater because several of the artists of the last century had an individual say about a particular work, thereby altering the listener's digestion of a recording's merits. That said, I eventually boiled this massive list of genres down to opera since it is the only art form in my opinion that combines an orchestra with vocal soloists and other aspects of artistic production that far exceeds the scope of any of the other genres in classical music. While sizable, the repertory definitely includes a number of masterpieces that have been indeed served well by legends in classical music. This truncated list eventually dwindled down to a number of recordings that I have listed below:

1. Sir Georg Solti's Decca Gotterdammerung
2. Otto Klemperer's Fidelio.
3. Wilhelm Furtwangler's Tristan und Isolde
4. Victor de Sabata's Tosca
5. Carlo Maria Giulini's Don Giovanni
6. Erich Kleiber's Der Rosenkavalier
7. Herbert von Karajan's Salome
8. James Levine's Otello
9. Pierre Boulez's Lulu
10. Rudolf Kempe's Lohengrin

On any particular day, this list could change depending on my preference for a composer and his sound, but there is always one opera that has remained among this divine echelon of historical mementos--Solti's Gotterdammerung. I am not saying that the rest of the output in his Ring is inferior to this final installation of the tetralogy. In fact, out of the multitudes of Rings that have been issued by various labels, Solti's three earlier operas either top the list or stay very close to it. His Gotterdammerung, however, represents the crown jewel of a landmark event in recording history, and almost fifty years since its inception, no one can challenge the kind of musical precision and theatrical intensity that this ensemble of singers and the fabulous Vienna Philharmonic brings to Wagner's Ragnarok.

The same thing could be said about Maria Callas' Tosca, for example. No one else in history could possibly come close to the three dimensional portrait of Floria Tosca that Callas and De Sabata have immortalized for posterity, and very few can vividly assume the sinister aspects of Gobbi's Scarpia and the ardency of di Stefano's Cavadarossi, but Wagner's art in my mind finds its place at the zenith of classical music due to the intrinsic complexity that so well describes the music, the libretto, and the characters. A veristic interpreter may paint a character with the similar palette that Callas used for her Tosca, but to even begin to understand a goddess like Brunnhilde is no task for the light-hearted. The same thing can be said for the remainder of the human and divine beings in Wagner's Ring and his other operas. Nothing else simply compares.

Solti's Gotterdammerung was a pioneer in a world that until this release had never seen a physical copy of a pristinely produced recording of the fifteen hour tetralogy. At the time that John Culshaw and Georg Solti were working on this project, stereophonic sound had just been introduced as the novel technology of choice for recording. With the length and scope of Wagner's operas, that project did indeed become a labor of love, of dedication, and of hard work. To capture the awesome sound world of Wagner's Ring is a task of Herculean and even astronomical proportions, and nowhere does it gain the kind of titanic dimensions than in Gotterdammerung.

The young Solti was an energetic conductor who bridled the Vienna Philharmonic to submit to his musical will. Others have criticized him for being rhythmically square and unyielding to the poetry and the sensitivity of the music. I would argue otherwise, and have assessed the merits of this Ring to be a hundredfold greater than all the other interpretations that have unthinkably massacred this great monument of Western art. Solti brought an energetic drive and a kind of philosophical thinking that while never approaching Furtwangler's indubitable perfection, was the alternative needed to make such a recording work. Rapture is provided when needed, and so are the sonic colors of terror, love, contempt, hatred, naivety, tragedy, and wisdom.

Upon the opening chords that signal the entering of the dreaded and mysterious Norns, there is no questioning the credibility of Solti and his musicians in producing a Ring that has the necessary Wagnerian pulse and atmosphere so apt for this Norse world in chaos. Multiple leitmotifs are exposed with a delicacy that never overwhelms the listener, instead reminding him that the things that have passed in the first three Ring operas are now coming to a tragic end. Upon the breaking of the rope, Solti makes a successful transition into the first act that begins the twilight of a day and age where Valhalla once stood as a symbol of power, judgment, and government.

The dawn duet that greets our heroine Brunnhilde and her lover Siegfried is played with a singing rhythm that continues the rapture and love where the final notes of Siegfried left listeners and further moves towards that Gibichung scene which oftentimes represents the blank spot in the conductor's imagination. Solti uses this to his advantage and creates a world that is clearly dominated by intellectually capable yet spiritually clueless humans. It is a drastic contrast from the world of deities that immersed the listeners for more than eleven hours, and through it does Solti and the VPO makes us realize that there exists a shift of power that begins with Gunther and Hagen's dialog and ends with Brunnhilde and Siegfried's glorious "Heil!" Upon Siegfried's arrival, we are now reminded who is in complete control as the Vienna Philharmonic so subtly plays the motifs of old that are slowly being muddled by the new themes that Wagner introduced in this final segment of the legend.

Later, when Waltraute confronts Brunnhilde, we then realize the weakness of the gods and how all the power has now been relinquished to a human race that will save the world from the peril of greed and corruption that has destroyed a once hailed institution. Strong is Waltraute in her convictions that the gods need redemption, and even stronger is Brunnhilde in her refutation of the laws of old. When Siegfried comes and subdues the demigoddess, the beginning of the end has come to an apex, and we are further reminded during the segment after our hero removes the Tarnhelm that the Ring has once again dominated the power of the gods and has decided the fate of its bearers. The dichotomies of remembrance, wisdom, and violence are so immediately expressed by the orchestra that one is overwhelmed by this awesome recording.

In the second act, nowhere else has the interaction between Alberich and Hagen been so frighteningly palpable. The eerie, sinister, and mysterious atmosphere is impregnated with elements of greed and contempt, and Solti is once again able to color the scene effectively to bring us a picture of Alberich's curse. Come Siegfried, and the mood changes to the malevolent call of Hagen for the vassals, frighteningly and veristically portrayed by the Vienna Philharmonic with full orchestra, massive chorus, and steerhorns to boot. The oath of the sword and the revenge trio are the finest in the discography, and upon the closing chords of the act presents audiences with what is most likely the ultimate second act of the opera on records.

The third act is lovely at first with the Rhinemaidens, with Solti recalling that ebb and flow of the river that made his Rheingold such a fascinating account. The leitmotifs that he recalls from the former operas when Siegfried comes and narrates his life to Hagen are played clearly but never in an overpowering manner. Siegfried's death and the funeral march are treated with that proper sense of Grecian tragedy and scope. The final scene is yet to come, but the fantastic work done in the last four hours foreshadows what is in my opinion the ultimate reading of the Immolation Scene. And deliver is what Solti and the Vienna forces do. From the grand opening of the horns to the recapitulation of all the motifs in that violent clashing that ends the Ring, Solti gently lifts the listener into a sense of hope as Sieglinde's theme comes back to redeem a world destroyed by greed and power.

Of course, that long dissertation about Solti and the VPO constitutes only a half (or at least to other listeners, a sizable chunk of the Wagner's musical values) of Götterdämmerung. The cast could never be bettered. Whereas Hotter's voice (magnificent still in my opinion) was a liability for some in Walküre and Siegfried, no one could match Solti's team in this recording. The Norns who begin the opera are examples of singers who were true exponents of this music--Helen Watts, Grace Hoffman, and Anita Välkki are exemplary in filling the roles out vocally and also creating a mysterious atmosphere about them. The Rheinmaidens are fine too--Lucia Popp, the greatest Mozart soubrette, Gwyneth Jones, later a great hochdramatische soprano, and Maureen Guy, a contralto with depth and beauty. The Gibichungs are without equal--Fischer Dieskau's wise yet resigned and weak Gunther and Claire Watson's sympathetic Gutrune. Gottlob Frick is the most sinister and vile Hagen on records, only to be matched by Matti Salminen and John Tomlinson. His black basso profundo was at the time perfect for the part, and his Act II conversations with his father Alberich create a chilling atmosphere that would later be brought to frightening heights during the vassal's call.

Gustav Neidlinger is today still without equal as Alberich. His classic portrayal of the character is simply the definition of Wotan's antithesis--without regard for the law, devoid of love, and ultimately, a godhead of evil in his own right. Christa Ludwig's Waltraute is for vocal purposes the best on records, and the kind of lieder singer sensitivity she invests in the part brings no other comparison to mind. Only Waltraud Meier is as intense, but Christa had the better voice. She is alert, afraid, and distressed rightfully as she confronts Brünnhilde.

Wolfgang Windgassen is the century's top exponent of Siegfried, his youthful exuberance and his spot-on musicality exceeding the somewhat aged voice that had formerly brought the greatest performances of the role to Bayreuth. While good as the young Siegfried, he is full of wisdom and potency as the Götterdämmerung character, bringing love, courage, and bravado to the first act and naivety to the second. But it is in the third act where he shines most. No other Siegfried has died more beautifully. Even if a singer like Ernst Kozub (initially preferred by Solti) had a truer heldentenor sound, we are fortunate and even blessed to have an artist like Windgassen as Siegfried. Never again will another voice like that touch the role.

Finally, we have Birgit Nilsson in the ultimate role in the Ring, Brünnhilde. Several people will draw comparisons with her and Astrid Varnay, citing that the latter brought interpretive wisdom to the role where Nilsson brought her vocal gold. It must be said that both artists are of equal standing, and in this Ring, Nilsson is able to delineate the character nicely. But Nilsson also had the right voice for Brünnhilde, and what a portrait of the Valkyrie she creates--noble, wise, all-understanding. The apotheosis of the role has not been approached to such a degree of vocal and dramatic refinement. From the rapturous exchanges in the prologue and her proud reluctance in Act I and the harrowing revenge trio in Act II to the mind-blowing Immolation Scene, Nilsson unleashes her limitless vocal reserves to create a woman that truly defines a great character in opera. It is a Brünnhilde for posterity, and how fortunate we are that her voice is captured in her elemental prime.

Ultimately, this is Wagner's recording, and no other cast and conductor was up to the task to serve the music better than Solti and a golden standard of Wagnerians who lived through what is in my opinion, the recording of the century. And yes, even with Culshaw's sometimes annoying effects, this still is the greatest among an echelon of recordings that deserve such a label.

Wagner's opera GOTTERDAMMERUNG concludes the epic four opera DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN. The opera has all the elements of great drama. It is the story of love and deception, power and treachery. The story itself was larger than life simply due to the characters that populate the story: the heroes and villains of Norse mythology. Wagner's music with its lush string crescendos and powerful horns (can any composer arrange for brass like Wagner) transports the listener into another world.

The true test of any recording of a work of Wagner is whether the singers can sing over the large and powerful orchestra, demonstrating not just strength but also vocal beauty. Wagner was never shy about arranging for a large orchestra and wanted vocalists that could match the orchestra. This recording, under the direction of Sir Georg Solti was recorded in the mid 1960's, and both the orchestra and soloists are magnificent

Solti's conducting of the Vienna Philharmonic is nothing less than masterful. He has complete control and brings the score to life. Birgit Nilsson is Brunnhilde and performs the role with majesty. Wolfgang Windgassens's Siegfried may not match the gifts of Nilsson, but he does an adequate job. The cast includes other notable names including Dietrich Fisher Dieskau and Christa Ludwig, both gifted performers very much at home with Wagner and at home in this recording. The recording also includes the voices of two singers at the beginning of their careers: Lucia Popp and Gwyneth Jones, both of whom went on to larger roles. Popp sang a wide variety of roles as did Jones who later became a leading interpreter of Wagner roles for soprano. The role of the chorus should also be noted, particularly the male choral members who do an exhilarating job as the vassals in the Act II wedding celebration. The norns also have a beautiful and haunting sound.

Reviews of the recording were somewhat mixed when the recording was first released. Wagner aficionados are often prone to comparing recordings to performers of the past (typical of all opera I suppose) and singers such as Flagstad and Melchior were still fresh in the minds of many Wagner fans. Today, this recording is considered by many to be a classic, and it deserves to be in this category.

I purchased this recording when the Met premiered its current production of the Ring. James Levine and the Met had not yet completed their recordings, and when I looked at the recordings available, I went with the Solti recording because I believed Solti was a conductor I could trust. I am glad I went with my gut because I love this recording and have enjoyed it for many years and intend to enjoy it for years to come.

Yes this is one of the best Gotterdammerungs you can get--Solti's conducting is tremendous, particularly on the fast hard sections, and the cast is great. Windgassen is on top of his form.

I disagree with the reviewer who said that Gottlob Frick is the best Hagen ever--I'd have to give Matti Salminen that distinction. But Frick is great as the villian. I often think if a crocodile could sing it would sound like Gottlob Frick.