Customer Reviews

Wagner: Der Ring Des Nibelungen

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I decided to add another Ring to my collection (I have Solti's and Bohm's recordings) and the choice was between a more historical recording or Levine's (I once had Karajan's desperate mess and sold it). I am not a digital whore, but I ultimately decided on Levine's because of what I've read about the superb orchestral playing! Now, on to my thoughts...

There's been a lot of talk about Levine's "plodding tempos" on here and reviews I've read through other sources. This morning, I did some research and compiled a timing list for some of the more popular Ring's. Levine's Ring is 90 minutes SHORTER than Goodall's. It is only 24 minutes longer than Karajan's, 34 minutes longer than Solti's, and 103 minutes longer than Bohm's. We're talking 24, 34, and 103 minutes over the course of 14 to 15 hours. Yes, the slower tempos are noticeable compared to Bohm, but they are certainly not noticeable compared to Karajan and Solti. 24 and 34 minutes over 14 to 15 hours amounts to seconds when it comes to each individual track. Not noticeable - a non-issue!

What is said about the orchestral playing being superb is absolutely true. I am absolutely floored by the stunning beauty with which the Met orchestra plays. It's breathtaking, from the first note of Rheingold until the last note of Gotterdammerung! The sound is clear, beautiful, and lush. Gorgeous!

The cast does have some issues. Solti provides the only near perfect cast IMO (save Hotter in Walkure). Bohm features the same two major players (Windgassen and Nilsson) as Solti. Of course Goldberg and Behrens don't measure up to these two giants, but they are both more than sufficent for their roles. Vocally, Goldberg is good, but something is missing. Behrens seems to struggle at moments, leaving me vocally disappointed during the finales of Siegfried and Gotterdammerung! However, it's nice to have another Brunnhilde and Siegfried on disc and overall both roles are performed well.

James Morris is a triumph as Wotan! The best I have ever heard, bar none! I literally listened to his final passage in Walkure about 15 times in a row. It will light your heart on fire. Norman is wonderful as Sieglinde! It's true her voice is perhaps a bit too large for the role, but what a treat it is to hear Sieglinde sung so powerfully and beautifully. It's a nice change, and the ACT I of Walkure is breathtaking. Studer is great as Gutrune and I love Zednik's Mime. Battle as the Woodbird and Moll as Fafner represent two other roles that are wonderfully sung.

All in all, the Walkure is the best I have heard, and the Gotterdammerung falls short of Solti's, however, it's definitely worth owning! Solti has the definite edge in Siegfried and Rheingold.

In short, would I recommend Levine's Ring to someone who is approaching the work for a first time? NO! I would certainly recommend Solti's, for many reasons. However, if someone already had Solti's and was looking for another (recent) Ring, I would absolutely recommend Levine's over both Bohm's and Karajan's, which is saying a lot, because while I loath Karajan's effort, I love and applaud Bohm's!

On a side note, because no librettos are included, I suggest you look into purchasing Rudolph Sabor's commentaries on the Ring as a whole and each of the four operas individually. Not only does he include the original text, with English translation side-by-side, he also includes a running commentary with loads of interesting information, including pointing out the motifs. He also includes reviews of several Cycles on disc, DVD, and video, as well as a snynopis for each work, character outline, history of the Cycle, and other interesting facts. These 5 volumes can be purchased used (on Amazon.com) very cheaply. Since purchasing these volumes, I have never again looked at the libretto's that have accompanied my Solti and Bohm sets.

First of all, I want to say that I am simply amazed with what James Levine did with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. What he did is tantamount with what Karajan did with his Berlin Philharmonic and Solti with the Chicago Symphony. It is so beautifully articulated in orchestral terms that the score just sings. Some people say that Levine has plodding tempos. Perhaps his tempi are slower than many a conductor, but they are dramatically rich and beautifully played. Saying that, I have to say that this has to be one of the best conducted Rings, coming only below those of Solti, Karajan, Bohm, Krauss, and Janowski.

The cast is on a whole very good, with special mention going to James Morris' Wotan. Morris did a Wotan for Haitink, which in my opinion, was captured in a bigger tone than was in this recording, but his interpretation here is one of the jewels of modern day Wagnerian singing. His way with declamations, the quality of his voice, the Rheingold narration, the Abschied at the end of Walkure, the riddle scene with Mime, and the Siegfried confrontation are all magnificent, and perhaps constitute some of the best excerpts of the Ring. This has to be one of the greatest Wotans ever.

Christa Ludwig repeated the part of Fricka that she had sung with Solti about twenty years earlier, but her voice is surprisingly fresh here for her age. One can detect the lack of firmness and creaminess, but it is still the work of a supreme artist. Kurt Moll, as usually is with this great artists, makes great roles out of Hunding, Fafner, and Fasolt. He is partnered in Rheingold by Jan-Hendrik Rootering, who makes a very good Rheingold Fafner. Siegfried Jerusalem's heroic character tenor reminds us of Set Svanholm's magnificent portrayal with Solti, only better. He is probably one of the best sung Loge's on disc. Birgitta Svenden's amazing alto voice floods Erda's music beautifully, albeit sounding slightly young for the portrayal of mother earth. The Rhinemaidens on this recording, even if they don't reach the youthful musicality of Karajan's Rhinemaidens (with special mention going to Helen Donath as Woglinde), sound youthful and playful compared to other Rhinemaidens. The Valkyries are very well tuned in this recording, sounding robust, lusty, and young, and the Norns are simply sensational, with former Brunnhilde Helga Dernesch, Tatiana Troyanos, and today's Turandot of choice, Andrea Gruber. Another asset to this recording is Cheryl Studer's radiant Gutrune. It is perhaps the best portrayal of the role next to Janowitz's version with Karajan. I am also a fan of Bernd Weikl's Gunther and Hanna Schwarz's Waltraute. Both artists do amazing things with these secondary characters, especially Schwarz. Th

One of the merits of this recording is the singing of Heinz Zednik as Mime. I have never heard such a witty, funny, annoying little dwarf who sang the part (unlike Stolze's acid-voiced interpretation) with Zednik's combination of character-like vocalization. He is probably one of my favorite Mime's on disc. Another great singer in this recording is Mime's brother, Alberich played by Ekkehard Wlaschiha. In my opinion, his performance is on par with Gustav Neidlinger's portrayal of Alberich, even surpassing him in some instances. His curse in Rheingold has to be heard, and his confrontation with Mime and Wanderer are such funny moments in Siegfried. Of course, one of his most revealing moments happens in the beginning of Gotterdammerung's second act. His interaction with Hagen in the watch is simply brilliant. Speaking of Hagen, I believe the best singer after Morris in this recording is Matti Salminen in the role of Hagen. I have never heard a more malevolent, more sinister, yet conniving singer to the part of Hagen with an almost inhuman touch of evil due to his lack of vibrato. It is an amazing portrayal. He is probably the best Hagen in the discography, the equal of Gottlob Frick's evil interpretation on Solti's ring. He had recorded the part a few years earlier with Marek Janowski before he transformed the part into the diabolical role that we hear in this recording. Salminen would probably be another reason to buy this set after Morris' Wotan.

The Walsungen pair in this recording is well sung by two American artists, Gary Lakes and Jessye Norman. On paper, they offer very voluptuous, luxurious vocal performances, but they could have hyped the scenes they are in by adding a bit more drama. This could be said of Norman, but Gary Lakes' Siegmund is so beautifully vocalized that I can't help but love his performance.

Of course, a Ring would not be complete without a Brunnhilde or a Siegfried, and that is where this set fails. Hildegard Behrens has a most radiant upper extension that is only matched by Nilsson's, but the rest of her voice takes a weaker, more guttural quality once things get lower. Her immolation scene is amazing, and her hojotohos are brilliant. The love duet is gorgeous when she gets to top notes, but when expressing Brunnhilde's angst and anger, things get to get underplayed. She is a very interesting and youthful Brunnhilde though, and she is quite riveting to watch on stage.

Reiner Goldberg as Siegfried though, is much more problematic. Solti once called him as the ideal heldentenor voice, and the instrument is a very ideal one for this kind of repertoire, but he isn't as a great a singer as his vocal specifications would like us to think. I find it a very uneven performance. There are moments where you would find a true Siegfried, but a few moments later he gets into his ugly vocal mannerisms, of which there are many. His vocalizing is very rough, and the performance as a whole does not please the ear. He can also be a bore in the repertoire, and while this is acceptable with vocally nice Siegfried's, he could have made it better by using a better technique.

Overall, this Ring is an amazing account of Wagner operas in the 1980's. It is not going to be one of the essentials like Solti or Karajan's, owing that to the lack of a Siegfried and a Brunnhilde, but it has several interesting points that would make it a very well-balanced Ring.

This is not my first choice for a Ring, Furtwangler or Kraus have that distinction. However, this is a very well recorded version where everything is crystal clear and it makes an excellent bargain adjunct to those two magnificent but monoaural performances. What do you get? First, more consistency in casting than other modern Rings, there is one Wotan, one Brunnhild, one Seigfreid etc. This matters. Second, the orchestra is magnificent under Levine and is very well captured. Third, the singing is consistently fine with few caveats. Behrens is much firmer and better controlled than on video and in the house, so one can enjoy her searing portrayal better. Morris is a sonorous Wotan, Norman a sumptuous Seiglinde. Goldberg is a bit hard pressed at times, but not nearly as bad as some reviewers would lead you to believe (the high C in Gotterdammerung should have been redone or lowered) Lakes a fine enough Seigmund if no match for James King. Other roles well taken and everyone seems to be on the same page as it were as far as commitment and interpretation. Levine is excellent in Seigfried and Gotterdammurung, a bit heavy going in Rheingold and Walkure. No libretto (there are libretti on the web or one can buy one at Amazon) Excellent, especially for the price, but not great. Certainly worth considering. I recommend it.

Levine's cycle certainly has excellent points that can be staccked up against other Ring cycles. It s far better conducted and played than the contemporaneous Haitink cycle for EMI. The individual singers are world class, and some, like the Wotan of James Morris, the Loge of Siegfried Jerusalem, the Sieglinde of Jessye Norman, would be glories on any set ever recorded.

Some listeners, myself included, are dismayed by Levin'es often slow, even ponderous tempos. But one can adjust to them. What one can't adjust to is the gargly, weak Siegfried of Reiner Goldberg, who isn't remotely a Heldentenor. Unfortunately, he also got the job under Haitink, so scarce were viable Siegfrieds at this time, the late Eighties. Levine has a very musical and appealing Brunnhilde in Hildegard Behrens, but despite her gleaming top notes she doesn't have a true Brunnhilde voice for power and impact. To compae her to supreme Brunnhildes like Leider, Flagstad or Nilsson would be pointless, but Behrens isn't up to Astrid Varnay or Martha Modl, either, both wonderful Brunnhildes during the Fifties at Bayreuth. (The best way to experience Behrens was live on stage, since she had great dramatic appeal and a good figure.)

The Levine Ring is a reminder, that the only way to build up a truly great Ring cycle on CD is to pick and choose among all the available choices. You have to weigh lots of pluses and minues before making a selection. In Levine's case, I don't find that any single opera would be my first or second chhoice, except perhaps his Rheingold--buy the DVDs instead and enjoy the Met's impressive naturalistic staging.

Which Ring cycle is the best? Each recording has its upsides and downsides, and they've been well documented on this site by other reviewers. Reading these, you may get away with the feeling that this recording is good, but not good enough given the competition of Keilberth, Solti, Karajan etc. I found that it's indeed easy to criticize some of the performances or Levine's direction. And still... I listened to this set over the course of ten days, one or two CDs at a time, and from the beginning of Rheingold until the last note of Goetterdaemmeruing I was hooked. It was a tremendously enjoyable and moving experience throughout, and I'm looking forward to listening to it all again in a few weeks' time.

This recording deserves a lot more space on my shelves than the budget box set requires. Highly recommended!

There are over 20 complete recordings of Richard Wagner's "Der Ring Des Nibelungen". This, with James Levine and the Metropolitan Opera, is one of them.

This conductor has his own fair share of Herbert von Karajan's lyricism, Only, his lyricism is softer and much slower than Karajan's. Sometimes you'll be annoyed at his plodding tempi in parts such as "Wotan confronts Siegfried" or "Loge confronts Alberich", but you'll be amazed by the stunning splendor of "Annunciation of Death" and "Forest Murmurs". Be on the sharp lookout, also, for Levine's perfect "Erda's Warning".

The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra is the real star on this set. The woodwinds and brass have been refined and taken with great care for the score. The strings sound majestic and heavenly, though they sound a bit too tired to continue on in Gotterdammerung. The Finale to Rheingold is absolutely stunning (the trumpets and trombones will not disappoint), and the Second Act of Walkure is the most impressive, the most refined.

For aside from the fantastic orchestra that this recording is famous for, this set could've improved with better singers. James Morris is a notch below Hotter, Adam, and Bailey, but he overpowers Fischer-Dieskau and McIntyre pretty much throughout both Rings. His multi-dimensional performances are compelling in Walkure. "Wotan's Farewell" should not be missed.

Hildegard Behrens is just like Birgitt Nilsson and Regine Crespin. While she's not the best, she is definitely another perfect Brunnhilde of choice. She's at her most dazzling when she performs Walkure (Levine) and Siegfried (Sawallisch). The one problem I had with Behrens is her singing the low notes; she sounds too gruff and gagged.

Gary Lakes and Jessye Norman as Siegmund and Sieglinde don't seem to hit their marks in Walkure. Lakes does have that heroic quality to it, but he sounds tired when he's performing in Acts One and Two. Norman can truly sing, but she doesn't fit as Sieglinde: she doesn't sound young and innocent enough. I would've loved to hear her as Brunnhilde.

Oh, Reiner Goldberg. At least you tried. Seriously, he sounds too tedious (especially in Gotterdammerung Act Three Scene Two) and too old. Levine should've chose Rene Kollo or Siegfried Jerusalem when he recorded his studio Ring.

Ekkehard Wlaschiha is one hell of a vigorous Alberich. I praise him in Rheingold Scene One and Three. His performance in Siegfried could've improved with more distrustfulness towards Mime and the Wanderer.

Heinz Zednik is an excellent Mime, VERY fun to listen to. There is much humor and eccentricity in his voice, and that's what makes his dwarf much more compelling than Gregory Dempsey's dwarf. His performance in Rheingold Scene Three is pure gold, while his performance in Siegfried (particularly "Willkommen, Siegfried!") is a stunning achievement.

Siegfried Jerusalem doesn't seem like a good choice for Loge. He's better off playing Siegmund or Siegfried, but not a demi-god.

As for the rest of the cast, they're good in their own way. The Valkries have the same majestic force that's found in the Karajan recording. Siegfried Lorenz isn't a very good Donner, and his "Hammer Song" sounds forced. Birgitta Svenden is a fine Erda, and I love every minute of her singing. Christ Ludwig is the most believable Fricka around, but she does sound a bit past her prime here (her performance in Karl Bohm's live recording is much better). Matti Salminen is the one-and-only Hagen, his voice is has the perfect blackness that fits the character. The Three Norns somewhat fail in bringing the Gotterdammerung Prologue to life; Marek Janowski and Karajan have brilliant norns.

Overall, James Levine's slow tempi may be distracting at times, but they work well if you want to focus more on Wagner's music than on the drama itself.

oh. What could have been. This Ring cycle could have been the standard modern set. The playing from the Met is utterly breathtaking-James Morris as Wotan is the finest[along with John Tomlinson with Barenboim among modern sets], but Reiner Goldberg as Siegfried has no business sharing the stage with this cast. Hildegarde Behrens is good, much better than in this sets DVD counterpart[which has Siegfried Jerusalem as Siegfried].
First off, James Morris is a revelation as Wotan. Surely he must be regarded as the most lyrical portrayal, though overall I prefer John Tomlinson who almost matches Morris for beauty, but far exceeds him in the presence one would acquaint with the sheriff of the gods.
The Die Walkure and the Das Rheingold are excellent-the Siegfried has its moments, and the Gotterdammerung also is quite good. The playing from the Met throughout is basically as good as can possibly be. When Morris and the Met are the focus, this is a magnificent Ring cycle-when the focus is elsewhere it tends to reveal its flaws and unfortunately, that 'elsewhere' accounts for about 11 hours.
If you are looking for a modern sounding set-I would recommend the Barenboim as the top choice. John Tomlinson, as I have already stated, is absolutely dominating. Anne Evans is very convincing as Brunnhilde, and Siegfried Jerusalem is in peak form as Siegfried[and his peak form is akin to K2.]
The sound in the Met version is better than Barenboim's[which was recorded live] but that is about the only plus.
Among stereo versions I would rank them
1.Keilberth
2.Barenboim
3.Bohm
4.Solti

Overall
1.Keilberth['55 stereo]
2.Krauss[mono]
3.Furtwangler[mono]
4.Barenboim[live-stereo]
5.Bohm\Solti[stereo]
DVD-
1.Levine
2.Barenboim
3.Boulez

The sound is gorgeous and the Met orchestra play beautifully, and powerfully. The cast is more than just ok. Siegfried is not the best, but still pretty good. So is Behrens.
Morris and the rest are excellent. Really an enjoyable listening experience. Not a first choice, but a sound one for a DDD version. Gorgeous playing.

Solti,Bohm,Keilberth still first.

I recently listened to this recording because I studied a bit with Reiner back in 2003. At that time he was still working in the Ensembe at the Staatsoper Berlin. His lessons were always full of passion for the text, how the music stemmed from it and the emotion behind it. What you somehow don't get from this recording is just how huge the voice is. For some reason the DG recording only captures the gleaming quality - the icing on the cake of an impressive, full instrument. A shame. He is a wonderful, gentle, shuffling man who loves nothing more than to sit in the green room of the Staatsoper between a lesson or performance chatting with people, smoking drinking his coffee and eating a Bockwurst. Unfortunately his career sometimes suffered from terrible nerves and other problems which I wont go into in a public forum. Thank goodness we have this recording as a memento of a wonderful artist and colleague.

Both Haitink's and Levine's ring cycles, with the passing of time, can only be seen as failures. Major casting issues in both (Levine's Goldberg and Lakes, Haitink's Marton and Goldberg again) as well as underwhelming direction from their respective conductors, compromise them too much for a general recommendation.
Solti's has always been seen as a safe bet -- I personally find myself troubled by the vocal distortions and other effects used, and Hotter was well, well past his prime by the time of this recording. Also, Solti's initially exciting direction becomes annoying with time.
A safer bet for a modern, studio-recorded ring cycle in my view would be either the Karajan on DG, or perhaps even better, Janowski on RCA/Eurodisc, which is more consistently cast. Otherwise, the mono greats include Knappertsbusch's live 1956 Bayreuth cycle in a brand-spanking new transfer on Orfeo, and a personal favourite, Keilberth 52 on Archipel -- great for lovers of old-school Wagner singing. The Barenboim/Teldec was also recorded live at Bayreuth, and is far superior in this category to Sawallisch on EMI, and indeed easily surpasses Haitink and Levine also.
All in all, in terms of both value-for-money and quality of performance you won't have to look far to find a better deal than this.