Product Details

• Actors: Bertrand de Billy, Falk Struckmann, Graham Clark, Gunter von Kannen, Lioba Braun
• Format: Classical, Closed-captioned, Color, DTS Surround Sound, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: German (DTS 5.1), German (PCM Stereo), Italian (PCM)
• Subtitles: German, English, Spanish, Italian, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: BBC / Opus Arte
• DVD Release Date: March 22, 2005
• Run Time: 159 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0007CGPUA
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #228,850 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The first of the four operas that comprise Wagner's Ring cycle, Das Rheingold has a narrative that serves as the backstory of the ensuing saga of deceit, greed, and betrayal. It opens underwater, with the Rhine maidens tricked of their gold by the Nibelung, Alberich, who forswears love for the power to rule the world. We are then taken to Valhalla, where Wotan's new castle must be paid for. The giants who built it demand his sister-in-law Freia in payment. But the wily god descends to the underworld to steal Alberich's gold. He pays them with it, including the magic ring upon which Alberich lays a terrible curse. Its first victim is the giant Fasolt, murdered by his brother, Fafner, who takes his booty.

This version of Das Rheingold features the talents of leading Wagnerians. Producer Harry Kupfer, a veteran of several Ring cycles, sees the operas as a parable of man's greed and despoliation of nature and his spare sets reflect that vision. The ash tree, central to the plot, dominates a stage whose grid screen backdrop changes to suit the action, vertical lights symbolizing the bridge across which the gods walk in triumph to their new castle. Wotan descends to the Nibelung realm, a nightmare factory of clanking machinery and fearful slaves, via a stairway encased in a transparent plastic tube reminiscent of the escalators in Paris' De Gaulle airport. The gods are costumed in nondescript generic outfits and enter Valhalla's castle holding suitcases. The giants are fitted in clumsy industrial garb that limits their movements. A grim vision expertly realized by Kupfer, but made darker by filming that casts the action in murky gloom.

The musical side of the production is in the hands of Bertrand de Billy, whose conducting is competent, but without the strong individual interpretation heard in other versions. The orchestra of Barcelona's beautiful Gran Teatre del Liceu is a fallible instrument, which may account for some slower than usual tempos. Falk Struckmann's Wotan is one-dimensional; his semi-permanent anger limits the universality of a figure whose deceptions ensnare even himself. The vocal and acting star of the production is tenor Graham Clark as Loge, a diminutive figure in a red wig, whose sinuous vocalism drips with sarcastic contempt for his masters. Alberich, played by the experienced Günter von Kannen, is a forceful presence, and bass Kwanchul Youn as the giant, Fasolt, is superb as both actor and singer. But the Erda, Andrea Bönig, is miscast, too light of voice and figure to be the all-knowing Earth-Mother. On the whole then, a thoughtfully provocative, decently sung production. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Available, April 19, 2005

By 

Archie (Ottawa ON Canada) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wagner - Das Rheingold / Struckmann, Clark, von Kannen, Braun, Youn, de Billy, Barcelona Opera (DVD)

I was very fortunate to have bought the video of Harry Kupfer's memorable 1988 Beyreuth RING. This has been most unfortunately delisted and should be reissued. This production is based on another version Kupfer did for the Deutsch Staatsoper Berlin.

Since "Das Rheingold" is the Prologue of THE RING, and since the other three productions are not yet available, it is hard to see how it will develop. It is of necessity a very cold production since Siegmund and Sieglinde have not yet introduced love into the Cycle. All the characters are egocentric and self-serving -- except possibly for the Giants; and this is very clear in this production. I would hope that Falk Struckmann who plays Wotan warms up his voice in the next two productions, but for this one, the cold tones in his voice are most appropriate. His acting matched his voice.

Gunter von Kannen as Alberich stole the production for me. His singing and acting are impeccable, and I almost felt sorry for him when he was stripped of his gold and the Ring; his prior swagger, bragging and bullying notwithstanding. He was Alberich in the 1988 Kupfer RING, as was Graham Clarke who turned in a very good performance as Loge. The Rhinemaidens (cockteasers all) were also very good.

As with the 1988 production, the scenery is effectively abstract and, because of the extensive stage mechanics, very fluid with no need to pause between scenes. Bertrand de Billy's musical direction is also excellent. And, as usual, Opus Arte has produced a technically superb DVD.

Until whoever has the rights to the Kupfer 1988 RING and rereleases it, this is the best production of Das Rheingold currently available.

Although "Die Walkure" has been released, Amazon has not seen fit to obtain it as yet (April 20). They should!!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but......., June 2, 2005

By 

G. Stefan Lazar "Stefan" (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wagner - Das Rheingold / Struckmann, Clark, von Kannen, Braun, Youn, de Billy, Barcelona Opera (DVD)

I was definitely looking forward to this release. But after watching it, I have to put it in the "good but....." category.

The good -- I liked the production. It was very high tech and moved fluidly with none of those "this doesn't make any sense" ideas. The Alberich, Loge and Mime with excellent. If you know the Bayreuth Kupfer version, you'll see similarities in the production and direction. And I do agree with another reviewer who thought there was much clarity around the story line.

The not so good - the rest of the singers were acceptable but no shining stars and I'm just not sure what to make of Struckmann's Wotan. While I think the notes are there, too often his tone sounded unfocused and forced. But the biggest problem for me was the overall lack of real emotion. Yes, it can be "cold" as another reviewer stated but then there is an emotion that is conveyed even with that -- too often this performance was bland and the characters just not convincing. Given the overwhelming emotion in the Bayreuth Kupfer production I don't know what happened here. Were the singers just poor actors, was it the fault of the director OR was it the orchestra direction? De Billy's conducting was lackluster at best -- it wasn't a Solti supercharge, it wasn't a von Karajan sense of musical line, it wasn't anything distinctive, it was........just there. I certainly hope the orchestra has replaced some of their horn section since this performance. I know it was live but there were more flubs in this one performance than should ever be acceptable.

All that being said, would I still buy it, yes. If you love Wagner, you get just about everything you can, the good, the bad, and the somewhere in between. And on a separate note, that's why I'm fascinated by the Stuttgart "Ring" on TDK. I absolutely hate and love some of the concepts in it but they challenge my thinking and many of the singers gave supercharged emotional performances. I would have given the Barcelona performance a 3 1/2 stars but I can't. Okay, now it's onward to Die Walkure and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will get better.

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best Rheingold to date, April 17, 2005

By 

Dr. J. J. Kregarman (Denver, Colorado United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wagner - Das Rheingold / Struckmann, Clark, von Kannen, Braun, Youn, de Billy, Barcelona Opera (DVD)

What a fine show this is! Here we have a production that really adds to one's understanding of the ring and is gripping. The singing and conducting are more than adequate but not all have been to every reviewer's liking. Some thought Loge and Albrecht particularly well done and the Wotan somewhat weak. Others completely reversed this judgement. For me all presented refreshingly new ideas about their characters and all were well sung and well acted. Of course there are faults. The opera is spread over two disks and changing disks requires reprograming. But then the sound is excellent.