Wagner: Lohengrin [Import]

Richard [Classical] Wagner (Composer), Claudio Abbado (Conductor), Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra), Vienna State Opera Concert Chorus (Orchestra), Cheryl Studer (Performer), Amy-Linda Domaracki (Performer), Andreas Schmidt (Performer), Bojidar Nikolov (Performer), Claudio Otelli (Performer), Elisabeth Mach (Performer), Franz Kasemann (Performer), Gretchen Eder (Performer), Hartmut Welker (Performer), Ingrid Sieghart (Performer), Kurt Moll (Performer), Marianne Sattmann (Performer), Peter Koves (Performer), Renate Hasler (Performer), Senta Fischer (Performer), Siegfried Jerusalem (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Cheryl Studer, Amy-Linda Domaracki, Andreas Schmidt, Bojidar Nikolov, Claudio Otelli, et al.
• Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna State Opera Concert Chorus
• Conductor: Claudio Abbado
• Composer: Richard [Classical] Wagner
• Audio CD (January 17, 1995)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Import
• Label: Dg Imports
• ASIN: B000001GJ2
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #247,366 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Wagner, July 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Wagner: Lohengrin (Audio CD)

This is a beautiful modern recording of one of Wagner's most accessible works. Abbado, famous for his Verdi conducting, directs a strong, passionate performance. Siegfried Jerusalem may lack the tonal beauty of Domingo in this role, but he pays more attention to the text and is willing to carefully shade his voice in the more introspective moments. Cheryl Studer is a radiant Elsa, her reedy tone projecting both innocence and goodness. She is not quite as dramatically aware as she was on her earlier live recording from Bayreuth, but her singing is even more beautiful here. Waltraud Meier sings a stupendous Ortrud, bringing both beauty of tone and sensuality to a role normal sung by roaring harpies. Many people claim the Solti recording of this opera as the best, but I prefer this one for its beauty and simplicity.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Praise for Waltraud Meier, February 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Wagner: Lohengrin (Audio CD)

This recording is quite good, if perhaps rather main-stream. There are no real flaws, but maybe the performance is too polished. The reason you should get this recording - and you should, definitely - is Waltraud Meier: she is a riveting Ortrud, combining her wonderful, sensous voice with a stunning dramatic presence. If I were to choose with which of the two female protagonists of the opera to spend a night on the town with, I'd not opt for the heroïne, but for the witch!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Abbado soars high in Lohengrin, January 30, 2011

By 

dv_forever (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wagner: Lohengrin (Audio CD)

Claudio Abbado had no recorded history with Wagner upon making this sumptuous Lohengrin which goes right to the top. I was initially very skeptical as the famous prelude opened. It is much faster than many conductors take it and the dreamy atmosphere is not allowed to envelope the listener to the degree one hears with Furtwangler or Karajan. But the glorious Vienna Philharmonic keeps one's hopes through the prelude and onto the main event.

The two leads sound fabulous and just right for the part. Studer and Jerusalem make a great team indeed. All the supporting parts are evenly balanced, the chorus is ravishing in the big numbers such as Elsa's Bridal Procession. I compared Abbado's take directly with the famous Solti/Domingo/Norman on Decca as well as Karajan's EMI account. It's safe to say that all three have magnificent orchestras and choral work. Solti has Domingo who is terrific but I have a difficult time his voice in this music, just too Italian for me. Jessye Norman is too mature and grandiose for the delicate Elsa. Decca's sound is fine but lacks the immediacy of DG's work for Abbado here. And to be frank, as good as he is, Solti is not as inspired in Lohengrin as he was in his earlier operatic recordings. As for the Karajan EMI, that really was one of Karajan's rare botched operatic efforts. EMI's sound balances are all over the place, the singers are not on the same level as with Abbado or Solti. Karajan's Lohengrin was made over several years and sounds unfocused.

For all those reasons I pick Abbado as the prime candidate for this opera. His Italian style of bringing out the lyrical, melodic flow in this piece works wonders and yet he doesn't shy away from the big dramatic moments. Apart from that rushed Prelude to Act 1, ( which you can easily find a substitute for ), this is outstanding work and I was certainly impressed by Abbado, a conductor who usually doesn't captivate me.