Customer Reviews

Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen, WWV 86a-d (1966- 1967)

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While there are many great recordings of Wanger's Ring out there - the central debate seems to revolve around the Ring's of Solti, Bohm, or Karajan. Most people seem to prefer one or the other based on the conductor, while others seem to bash Solti's Ring, because of their distaste of Solti, rather than the merits of this recording. I will base my reviews of these three on the merits of their recordings. I love all three of these conductors equally, although I do not love all their Ring's equally.

DAS RHEINGOLD:

Bohm: The Prelude here is slightly affected by audience noise - so coughs here and there, it continues at soft points throughout (the entire cycle for that matter). It is, however, a slight setback and distraction. Adam, as Wotan, is not quite up to the standard set by Hotter for Solti, however, we get the added bonus of Windgassen's great reading of Loge. Anja Silja is stunning as Freia - my favorite on disc.

Karajan: All star cast. The giants are simply magnificent. Fischer-Dieskau is a great Wotan, but again, I prefer Hotter. The conducting here is beautiful and the Berlin Philharmonic shines.

Solti: Awesome throughout. Incredible playing by the Vienna Philharmonic. Prelude is to die for as is Flagstad's Fricka. Hotter is great as Wotan - my favorite, and the giants are wonderfully haunting.

Advantage - Solti, slightly over Bohm.

DIE WALKURE:

Bohm: This is a fantastic reading of the Ring's most popular installment. Nienstedt and Burmeister are not on the level of the Hunding or Fricka for Solti or Karajan, but Nilsson's Brunnhilde and Adam's great Wotan make up for that. Wotan's monologue is simply miraculous, and the conducting is brilliant. Bohm takes risks and it pays off. The only flaw - the hectic speeds at which Bohm takes us through the "Magic Fire Music". The most thrilling Walkure I have heard.

Solti: While I agree that this is the "weak link" of Solti's Ring, I do not agree that this Walkure isn't anything but marvelous. This Walkure has the best cast throughout - King and Crespin shine as Siegmund and Sieglinde, and again we have Nilsson's glorious Brunnhilde and Hotter's inspiring Wotan. "Magic Fire Music" is absolutely glorious.

Karajan: In Walkure, Karajan's "smoothing over" of the Ring's terror is at its height. Cast and orchestra are wonderful. Sound is rich and beautiful, although somewhat toned down. Drama seems to be sacrificed for beauty. Crespin is fine as Brunnhilde, although not on par with Nilsson.

Advantage: I give it to Bohm. Hands down!

SIEGFRIED:

I am in the minority here, as Siegfried is my favorite of the Ring operas. It is Siegfried that really separates one of these three sets from the other two.

Bohm: Again we have Windgassen and Brunnhilde in the title roles. They are wonderful, however she over powers him in the final note and he holds it longer than her. Of course this is live, so that is understandable. Wohlfahrt is very annoying as Mime - screaming and shouting, rather than singing. The Woodbird of Erika Koth also grates on my nerves. Bohm's speeds are again faster than the other two. Surprisingly though, he is slower than Solti is Siegfried's fabulous little aria during the first scene, right before Siegfried leaves and Wotan and Mime begin their scene. It's ok and for me that isn't good enough for 'Siegfried.' However, Bohm's whole Cycle is worth it for many other reasons.

Solti: This is the great Siegfried. This recording is th reason why 'Siegfried' is my favorite of the four operas. It is absolutely magnificant in every way conceivable. Windgassen and Nilsson are at the height of their powers here and I have never heard the final duet in such ravishing beauty. Stolze is thrilling as Mime, not shouting but singing in a whiny Mimelick tone. Then there's the HUGE added bonus of Joan Sutherland's glorious Woodbird. The final strains here send shivers down my spine, as does the entire opera for that matter. Glorious conducting and playing by the Vienna Philharmonic. I listen to this recording more than anything else.

Karajan: Siegfried is what sets the Karajan Ring apart from the other two. When Mime (Stolze) out sings Siegfried (Thomas), you've got problems. Dernesch is wonderful as Brunnhilde, but Thomas ruins this set for me. A huge disappointment.

Advantage: Solti, without a doubt.

GOTTERDAMMERUNG:

Bohm: This is a great recording. The "Immolation Scene" with Nilsson is wonderful, although I am not sure what was Bohm's big rush here. Brunnhilde on speed. "Hagen's Call" is marvelous! Pefer the faster speeds, but not in the final scene. Still though - this is a great Gotterdammerung.

Solti: Unsurpassable cast, without exception. Vienna Philharmonic is glorious and the "Immolation Scene" is absolutely incredible. That scene alone makes this the best recording of Gotterdammerung, although the entire reading is phenominal. If there is a weakness in this set, someone please point it out.

Karajan: Gutrune (Janowitz) and Ridderbusch (Hagen) are the true stars of this set, which alone raises problems. Dernesch again is great as Brunnhilde, but again when Siegfried and Brunnhilde are overshadowed by less major characters, it's a problem.

Advantage: Solti.

OVERALL: All three of these Ring's have something to offer. In my opinion, Solti and Bohm are easily the two best out there (of these three). Amazon.com is the ONLY place I have ever seen a critic call Karajan's Ring a "essential recording". I have even seen Goodall's English language Ring recommended over Karajan on many occasions. Karajan's Ring is beautiful - you won't find one out there with such beauty - but it is beauty at every moment. The Ring has moments of high dramatical terror that seem to be downplayed in Karajan's Ring. The drama is there - but in a different way, and a way that doesn't work for me.

Bohm's Ring is marvelous. Very fast tempos at times - which I like and don't like. The "Immolation Scene" is too fast for my preference, but his Walkure is incredible. Much better than Karajan's or Solti's. A live recording gives you an added bonus of hearing the Ring as you would in the opera house. Slight stage and crowd interferences are overshadowed by the glory of this Ring.

Solti's Ring overall though, IMHO, is the best out there. The Vienna Philharmonic showcases why they are the world's greatest orchestra, bar none. Like Bohm, Solti's gives us Nilsson and Windgassen. Here they have the advantage of recording in the studio.

Lastly, it's a tough choice on which Ring to buy. I would go with Solti or Bohm. For me, the though choice lay in which one I want to listen to.

*****Edited August 17, 2002******

Since this review I have purchased Reginald Goodall's 'Ring' on Chandos. You all know Chandos - English opera - and I'm sure 1/2 of you are cringing now and many of you will shy away from this set because of the English, and that is too bad. This is something truly miraculous. The 'Siegfried' of Goodall nearly rivals Solti, it's truly amazing. His tempos are the slowest on disc, but it reveals hidden treasures of the scores. I still prefer the entire set of Solti and Bohm (except for Siegfried) because I prefer the German.....but Goodall offers a great alternative and hearing the Cycle in English is an added bonus, as far as understanding goes. The translations are poetic and very well done.

The British magazine 'Gramophone' stated a preference for this recording of Wagner's massive tetralogy over Solti's much vaunted production. I have both Bohm and Solti. I've probably listened to Solti three or four times and Bohm's dozens of times. As the reviewer below stated, Bohm seems to know EXACTLY where this performance is going from the opening notes of Das Rheingold to the climax of Gotterdammerung. The singers, although slightly duplicated on Solti's version, are SO much more involved in this live Bayreuth performance that it's hard to remember that you're listening to the same music. And the secret is ACTING. These singers 'act' their roles through the music in a way that Solti's cast simply fail to do. As the Gramophone review stated, Bohm 'leads the ear forward' from one episode to the next. This is the true 'Ring for all ages', Solti's is one to put on only if you want to annoy the neighbours with the high decibel level. Apart from that, Solti seems bereft of musical imagination and insight. It's all surface texture, with little underneath. Also, the wonderful Bayreuth ambience is magically caught in the Bohm. To summarise then: simply the most thrilling and most involving 'Ring' now available. Bohm's ability to make this music FLOW (something that Solti seems totally unable to do with his 'stop/start' conducting) is masterly.

This is simply the most involving, thrilling, engrossing and dramatic performance of the Ring on disc. The recorded sound is sometimes shrill, the orchestra parts often lost in a cacophony of sound, the performers pushed to the edge by Bohm's tempi but no other performance comes close to recreating this work as a living piece of drama. It is the very essence of drama conveyed through music. Solti, whose recording I also have, does not even come close to approaching the intensity of this one. Bohm trumps Solti at almost every moment. He IS fast but always to the benefit of the drama. I return to this Ring over Solti's every time. Solti may have the benefit of better recording but he really does get bogged down in the detail at the expense of the sweep of the action and the so-called sound effects leave alot to desired. Take the ending of Gotterdammerung: the 'log-falling' sound effect is intrusive and extremely 'stagey', much more so than Bohm's actual stage performance.

As far as singing goes, there IS no comparison. Bohm's singer's, in terms of dramatic involvement and declamation, beat their efforts for Solti every time. For example, Wotan's soliloquy after the descent of Erda in Act Three of Siegfried is simply better sung - not in terms of purity of voice, but in giving the music meaning. And that is what makes this the better recording - the meaning of the drama comes across better. Similarly the so-called 'Hagen's Watch' scene in Gotterdammerung is more riveting. The singers are largely a duplicate but give that much more commitment here. Nilsson, by common consent, is more involved, less cold and more passionate. Windgassen as Siegfried is more ardent and believable as a character. Comment has been made of Modl's tired sounding Waltraude. Don't believe a word of it. Her Act One monologue in Gotterdammerung is extremely intense. Her voice has an edge of weariness which is TOTALLY in keeping with the character at that moment. And she declaims the lines with greater meaning than Ludwig for Solti (who sings 'beautifully' but again the drama is better conveyed by Modl). Finally, if for no other reason, this performance should be brought to hear Greindl as Hagen. He is the very essence of dark malevolence. Try and listen to his opening scene in Gotterdammerung Act One. He is astounding: evil, cunning, persuasive.

The Bayreuth acoustic is wonderfully warm and atmospheric, as though you were sitting in the audience (noise from whom is surprisingly lacking). The balance between orchestra and singers is perfect. To hear this music in the theatre Wagner built for it to be performed in, and it which it was premiered, is a real privilege. Perhaps Bohm's greatest achievement on record this Ring has been unfairly over-shadowed by Solti. Don't believe the hype but purchase this Ring.

When I try to assess a performance of Wagner's Ring it's not just a matter of how it's handled musically. Wagner's music-dramas are not supposed to be just operas, even if Goetterdaemmerung slides back into being one of those, like Lohengrin. The Ring presents me with the most difficult issue of them all. It is not just a story, like Tristan or The Mastersingers, or just a dramatised religious contemplation like Parsifal. I can't hear it as merely an enactment of Nordic legend as I might hear Sibelius's legends of Lemminkainen as simply representing that. Some further meaning has to be read into this strange harlequinade of gods, heroes, dwarves and giants, and even in sound alone a performance of The Ring has to leave me convinced that it has some coherent vision of what the whole thing is really about. How is Wotan to be portrayed? He is no Zeus to say the least. Even Zeus had to watch his step with the boardroom of competing interests that he chaired, but Wotan is a pawn of other forces, subject to the consequences of a curse laid by a dwarf, desperately dependent on a human hero who may be free from fear, and finally helpless and not even trying to help himself when his pleasure-dome Valhalla is ignominiously reduced to ashes. What precisely does Bruennhilde lose when stripped of her divine status? It seems to be nothing much to lose. Are the dwarves to be portrayed as some kind of lower order of creation? Much of what real power is to be had belongs to them. What does the hero Siegfried finally achieve? He gets hold of the ring of power and it leads to his murder as foretold by Alberich, and the ring itself that they have all been fighting over finally descends into the Rhine again as a toy of the Rhinemaidens.

So there are limits, for me, as to how `heroic' I want The Ring drama to seem, and that is why I finally prefer Boehm's account even to Furtwaengler's. It is a story full of irony and near-hopelessness, and Boehm presents it majestically but without the anguish overdone. Once I got used to Theo Adam's Wotan, much lighter in tone than Hotter's, it was apparent to me that this was more my own real idea of Wotan. The famous big effects are, frankly, not the biggest or most `effective' you will ever hear (which is not to say that they are not mightily impressive) and that was a salutary corrective to ears that have got used to the ride of the Valkyries, the entrance of the gods into their wretched Valhalla, Siegfried's funeral music and so on and so forth played as concert-hall party-pieces. Solti makes more of those, but if that is what you want to hear I would suggest get a record of extracts without subjecting yourself to Siegfried's repetitious autobiography, interminable dialogues between Wotan and Alberich and the other features that do not belong in a vision of The Ring as a feast of highlights. Solti's account was a milestone in the history of recording, but ultimately, and despite a real dimension of greatness in it, it cheapens the work, not least in misreading completely the significance of Mime, portrayed as some kind of Gollum. Dramatic stage-effects are not lacking here, in particular a brilliant amplification of the voice of Fafner. The cast is a stellar one, and if this or that part is better done elsewhere, e.g. Sutherland as the wood-bird, that is a peripheral issue to me.

What I bless Boehm for is the strong forward impetus of his tempi. Much of The Ring is simply glorious music, although the four dramas are successively a bit less good than the one before, with a steep descent into Goetterdaemmerung with its choruses, ensembles, duets and other unwelcome returns to Wagner's style before he purified it of its cheaper elements. The interplay of voices and orchestra, the alert characterisation of the short motifs and their wonderful interweaving and development rival Fuertwaengler, and the longueurs are mercifully not stretched out. From the celestial Rhinegold to the slightly tired and inconsistent Goetterdaemmerung I heard the Ring of my lengthening lifetime with Wagner's great, disturbing, perhaps slightly cloudy but utterly exalted vision given to me as I doubt I shall hear it again.

This has been my favourite Ring since I first bought it some 25 years ago. There is of course something very exciting about a "live" Bayreuth performance, something that can't be duplicated in the studio. Bohm was a marvelous conductor, with a real understanding of this family drama. If you like your brass loud and spectacular go for Solti, but if you think the Ring is far more than the Ride of the Valkiries, this set is for you. Everyone is here: Adam, Nilsson, Rysanek, and Neidlinger. The sound is natural and very satisfying. If you want digital sound, go for the budget Sawallisch, a very good set that shares many of Bohm's virtues. You can't go wrong with either.

I can't agree with those who think Bohm's speeds too fast, if you look at the scores they are right up there with Wagner's markings. Maybe these people grew up on Knapperstbusch and Furtwangler's readings (glorious as they are), but Bohm's vision and tempi are equally valid. And precisely what makes this Ring to stand out from those made in the last 40 years is the vision of the conductor. Bohm really knows where the Ring starts and where it ends.
His singers are admirable, and needless to say, Nilsson is much more involved than with Solti. The great and undervalued Theo Adam sings a commanding Wotan, not better or worse than Hotter, just different and his own.
If you are looking for your first Ring I would certainly recommend this over Solti's. No Culshaw tricks here, just the Ring as you would here it in the theatre.

Karl Bohm's live recording of Wagner epic opera cycle "The Ring of the Nibelung" was made in 1967 at the Bayreuth Opera festival. The cast of famous singers speaks for itself, and the recorded stereo sound, even for a live recording, is very good, better than many studio or digital recordings made in more recent years. Bohm sets sensible tempos, but always moves along quickly in the more sprech-stimme like passages, then allowing slower tempos for the great scenes and arias. Unlike operas of Mozart, for example, Wagner's mature music dramas are solid music throughout a scene or act, sometimes lasting over 30 minutes with no break. A scene in a Wagner opera isn't divided into Recitative - Aria - Recitative - Chorus, etc. as in Mozart, Rossini, and other famous opera composers of the late Classical/early Romantic eras. Therefore, a conductor who doesn't keep the forward motion going will run the risk of tempos bogging down, and tedium sets in.

I bought this recording in a budget reissue from an English firm in 2002, and like the sound and performance very much. I paid about $120 for this, so the price Amazon asks is a bargain.
(Wagner's "Ring" isn't something one listens to often, so the copy for sale is possibly like new.) I had no intention of buying a complete "Ring" as I'm not a Wagnerite, preferring Overtures and Preludes or Scenes of operas to the entire work. However, I like almost everything I've ever heard Karl Bohm (1894-1981) record, and decided to get his complete "Ring". I have only excerpts from the Solti/Vienna (Decca) and Karajan/Berlin (DG) recordings, both also very fine, but I retain a loyalty to Bohm. Highly recommended.

Wow - does this Ring cook. Bohm really speeds things up here, and in most cases I like it.

There's always talk about which Ring is the best. Why must there be? I think people need to find things in each recording they love - rather than hating the Solti set because of Solti - not based on the merits of the recording.

I won't say much about that other than I highly disagree with those who slam the Solti Ring - it is wonderful. Cast wise the performances are better than here - but here you get the benefit of a live performance. Windgassen & Nilsson are superior for Solti - especially in the ending duet in Siegfried. It's much more beautiful, passionate, and lush under Solti. Here - Nilsson overpowers Windgassen on the ending note, and he holds it longer than she does. I prefer Solti's "Immolation Scene" and "Magic Fire Music" as well - Bohm takes his TOO FAST! Although, they are both glorious. Both Solti & Bohm sets are full of drama, passion, and wonderful singing. Solti gets the edge orchestra wise - hands down. However, I don't have complaints with this set - it's more than adequate. In other areas - I prefer Bohm's speed. Especially in Walkure.

Both Bohm & Solti Rings are phenominal and different. Some will prefer one or the other. For me- it's a struggle in determining which one to listen to.

As the title of my review suggests, this might well be called the "action ring". Solti's studio version, for instance, could be called the "philosophical ring". The point is that Boehm's is a live performance from Bayreuth and thereore it has the "all or nothing" edge that only live theater, where dramas are ENACTED, can provide. This explains and justifies all the minor flaws others have pointed out, such as technical problems in the orchestra and tired singers. However, never again has a performance of the ring sounded so plausible and meaingful. As the drama unfolds on stage in Bayreuth, you for once realize that Wagner's long tale about Gods and Dwarfs is actually the story of our modern age told in mythological fashion. In other words, Wagner composed a long legend about the rise and fall of european civilization. In this performance, Boehm acts as the storyteller that holds things together and his greatest achieviment is to do so while allowing his singers to emerge as indivual voices - and what marvellous singers! Nilsson sings so flawlessly that she actually becomes Brunnhilde and her voice is not weiblich (feminine) only to those that believe all women should be fragile and weak creatures. Actually her voice has a heroic fire and understated passion that, once you think about it, only nowadays women are being allowed to display on public. Adam lacks tenderness,but has all the rest. Windgassen has a kind of non-memorable voice but sings to the manner born. Rysanek and King are both passionate and tender as the sad pair of lovers and as a rule all the other singers understand their roles in this longest of all musical masterpieces. To conclude, this is theater at its best, a collective work of art that, as in life, somehow manages to give the word "ensemble" its true meaning.

I concur with other reviewers who note that every Ring cycle isbound to have some shortcomings here and there. This performance hasa lot going for it, most notably the fine orchestral playing, the unique Bayreuth acoustics, good engineering, and for the most part very fine singing and good conducting. I found Bohm's tempi brisk, which is usually an advantage - especially in Siegfried - but on the other hand I found his tendency to push through the big emotional moments - such as the final scenes of Die Walkure and Gotterdammerung - left me feeling a bit cold. As also noted, his fast tempi also resulted in certain woodwind part writing passages not being given their full measure. However, I much prefer this music played more quickly than slowly, and Wagner himself felt the same way.

As for the singing, I found Theo Adam's Wotan a bit gritty of tone and Nilsson's Brunnhilde a bit piercing, although her power, stamina, and accuracy in live performance command respect. She preferred this performance to her effort in Solti's cycle. To my ears though, her voice lacks, in the words of one of Wagner's grandsons (either Wolfgang or Wieland, I can't remember which), a certain weibliche quality. Wagner wanted a German style of bel canto, and her sound is closer to can belto. In respect to Windgassen's Siegfried, I have the same reservations with his performance as he gave for Solti, to me his voice is just not very beautiful or lyrical, say compared to Alberto Remedios, or Placido Domingo. However, his diction and vocal characterization is excellent. Gustav Neidlinger as Alberich remains in a class of his own in that role. Special kudos to the Vassal's chorus of Act II of Gotterdammerung, where the training and direction of Wilhelm Pitz adds to the impact. The other roles are successful, with special mention to Leonie Rysanek as Sieglinde.That would rank alongside the re-release of Kubelik's Mahler Symphonies as one of the greatest bargains in the catalogue and would merit 5 stars. The bass has been improved somewhat over the original LPs. All in all, this remains a very good performance. END