Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen [Box Set] [Box set]

Richard Wagner (Artist), Bernard Haitink (Conductor) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Conductor: Bernard Haitink
• Audio CD (May 27, 2008)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 14
• Format: Box set
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B00151HZ3S
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #92,822 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Not just one of the most sprawling epics in classical music, but one of the largest-scale works of art ever conceived, Wagner's epic masterpiece was written to be performed in at least 14 hours over four nights (famously, a theater was built in Bayreuth just for Der Ring Des Nibelungen ). Not only are a world-class orchestra and chorus necessary to mount it, but so is a conductor well versed in theater as well as music; those elements are all in place here, as Bernard Haitink leads the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rudfunks and a remarkable cast. The complete, rapturously beautiful cycle ( Das Rheingold, Die Walkure, Siegfried and Gotterdamerung ) on 14 CDs!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Well-Balanced and Perhaps the Finest Ring of the Digital Age, January 8, 2009

By 

The Cultural Observer - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen [Box Set] (Audio CD)

The difficulty of producing recordings of Wagner's Ring Cycle lies in the massive scope of the master's vision. What it necessitates is about fifteen hours of dedication and focus not only from the musicians and conductors, but also from the engineering team, producers, and other technicians whose task it is to aid in immortalizing this music in a medium that will preserve Wagner's art for posterity. Those fifteen hours also come in addition to all the other times spent on rigorous rehearsal, tape playbacks and cuts, editing, balancing, and so forth. Recording a Ring is an enterprise of Herculean dimensions. Such was the task of John Culshaw and Georg Solti fifty years ago, and as such does it remain for future generations of visionaries and wunderkinds who wish to associate their names with this monolithic milestone. There have only been five official studio recordings produced in the last century--Solti's premier Vienna Cycle, Karajan's Berlin cycle, Janowski's Dresden Cycle, Levine's New York Ring, and this recording with Bernard Haitink leading the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Most other Rings were issued from recorded live performances taken from the Bayreuth Festival and other venues where productions of this tetralogy have been recorded (indeed, it has been proven to be a far more facile and undemanding assignment to document a Ring from an opera house). To their credit, all five studio Rings have been recorded with the world's greatest orchestras, providing an ideal tapestry from which the vision of Wagner's magnificent score can be pristinely realized. The only caveat: they lack the thrill and the pulse of a staged performance. Another caveat (I lied): you lack the consistency in casting that is more easily had in a live cycle.

Wagner's Ring is one of those artistic monuments that academics and musicians tend to debate about for its musical and philosophical ideas. Are the very basis of the music and the plot derived from the theories of Freud or Jung? Is it a socialist drama in the line of Marxist philosophy? Or are the central themes closer to the subjects of Rousseau? The list can go on, and such academic jargon need not be discussed here. The musical arguments put forth, however, should be. Conducting Wagner has always been an issue that each generation of Ringmasters tries to pose as a challenge for its listeners. Should the tempi be pondering, slow, and mammoth-like as Knappertsbusch and Goodall had theirs? Or, is it a brisk, dramatic, and chaotic world in motion in the line of Furtwangler, Bohm, Krauss, and Keilberth? Or is it a lyrical chamber drama in the mould of Janowski, Karajan and Levine's Rings? There are several ways to conduct the Ring, and the problem is, aside from the composer's recorded references and anecdotes, no one has really set any distinct and definitive rules to how his music should be presented to an audience. Of all the Rings that I have heard, there are three which I believe to be absolutely bewitching. The first is Barenboim's Bayreuth Ring on Warner Classics. No other documentation of this music has been so convincing that it coalesces the ideas of the aforementioned Ring Masters histrionically and musically. Barenboim, in fact surpasses all of these conductors in the sense that he has achieved a global and philosophical view of the Ring that favors above all others the ideal balance of dramatic vision and musical immediacy and traditional Germanic Romanticism. His orchestra provides transparency, lyricism, and beauty without compromising the essentially massive scope of the score: leitmotifs, gargantuan chords, and all. The second conductor whose Ring I find definitive is Clemens Krauss. In spite of the less than ideal recorded sound, the balance of speed, elegance, tonal verisimilitude, and that ideal Wagnerian pulse (a gene that belongs only to the greatest of conductors) makes his conceptualization of this tetralogy an absolute necessity. The last of this triptych is Sir Georg Solti, but another strong contender tying with him is the Dutch conductor Bernard Haitink, a musician particularly known for his exemplary work in the symphonies of Gustav Mahler, Shostakovich, Beethoven, and Brahms.

Bernard Haitink is a conductor of poise and elegance. What he does best is to present without bias and a minimal intervention of personality the skeleton of the music with all its anatomy attached in the most symmetrically beautiful manner. Absent are the distortion that other artists apply with their inflated egotism and inadvertently personal ideas about how the score should conducted. Haitink's approach is different. He deconstructs the music from its core and creates a sound world that defines the canvass of the music in such a way that you can hear every single orchestral color and voice clearly without removing from the panoramic view of the complete picture. What he so successfully brings to his acclaimed performances of Mahler's symphonies he carries over to Wagner's four operas. Contrary to Oscar Wilde's stipulation that the artist's personality is an essential component of the art, Haitink proves that his intellectual and emotionally involved yet elegant vision of the score works for Wagner. I wouldn't call him the greatest Wagner conductor who ever lived (that title would go to Barenboim, Furtwangler, and Krauss), but he certainly is one of the most judicious and balanced musicians to arrange this most difficult of scores. Listen to his Rheingold opening at how simply natural and beautifully played those opening bars are. There is simply no other orchestra that brings so much riches to the score while at the same time portraying the ebb and flow of the River Rhine so gracefully. Listen to the gods' march to Valhalla and how grandiose and regal that burnished tone is. Listen to the opening of Walkure and the romantic, dolorous, and rapturous sequence of events in the first Act. Or the heartbreaking Todesverkundigung and Wotan's Farewell. Listen to the schizophrenically ominous, fun, epic, and mysterious environment created by the bars of Siegfried. Listen to Gotterdammerung and the various scenes that depict the tragic fall of the gods. Where else and who else has done such a magnificent job in setting every single musical value in place? I can name only a few conductors who have done so, and Haitink is one of them. It (the interpretation) can never be accused of being too lyrical despite its orchestral beauty, and it can never be labeled as bland as evidenced by the more dramatically injected sections of this Ring. If any recording were to be chosen as one that could be easily followed with a score, this would be it. Haitink's venture is aided too by the glorious Bavarian Radio Symphony, an orchestra that placed their definitive stamp on what is perhaps the finest Mahler Cycle on records (with Rafael Kubelik). Contrary to popular belief, it is one of Europe's and even the world's greatest orchestras. If you don't believe me, check the last edition of Gramophone. It has voted this orchestra as the sixth best in the world, with top marks going to the Concertgebouw, the Berlin Philharmonic, and the Vienna Philharmonic. In the company of such legendary ensembles, this orchestra has proven itself to be one of the finest mediums of expression for any composer. Its gossamer tone and its technical flexibility and refinement are outstanding and make it an ideal vehicle for Wagner's operas.

Haitink can also be lauded for assembling one of the finest casts to sing the parts of the Ring since Solti's great cycle in the 50's. The tiniest parts such as the Rhine maidens, Norns, and Valkyries to the leads who play Wotan, Siegfried, and Brunnhilde are all accounted for in such a way that they not only deliver the requisite vocal goods but also produce a humanly immediate conception of the character. The Walsung twins in this recording are taken by Reiner Goldberg and Cheryl Studer. Ms. Studer is outstanding as Sieglinde, singing one of the most mellifluously vocalized and heartfelt interpretations of the character since Leonie Rysanek. That she is vocally secure is an added bonus to this already sympathetic and perfect interpretation. Goldberg, who sang a sometimes uninspired Siegfried for Levine, proves to be better in the part of Siegfried's father, Siegmund. While James King will never be effaced in this role, Goldberg is fine enough of a singer to not detract from the overall quality of the performance. James Morris is absolutely ravishing as Wotan. From the proud and negotiating god in Rheingold to the weary Wanderer in Siegfried, there is simply no vocal trick that escapes his glorious bass baritone (perhaps the greatest to assume this part since Hans Hotter). While his characterization for Levine is more delineated and thought out, this Wotan is still compelling and in a way much more vocally fresh and immediate. Setting Hotter aside, Morris is peerless in his assumption of the role. His farewell to Brunnhilde in the third act of Walkure is more than enough to bring tears to one's eyes.

Siegfried Jerusalem is a discovery in the part of his namesake. While his voice has not the heroic dimensions of Lauritz Melchior, he has everything else that Siegfried needs (the poetry, some heroism, sensitivity, a secure voice), not to mention the refulgent tone that Windgassen never had. For once, Siegfried sounds like a callow youth who has no care for the world without ever looking like an amphora. His Brunnhilde, Eva Marton is just as amazing. Many years before this recording was made, Marton released a recital of Wagnerian gems in which her Immolation Scene sounded like it could eclipse the milestones that Nilsson and Varnay have likewise immortalized on tape. She is found here in this Ring a few years later in slightly less than optimal vocal resources. Some listeners... Read more ›

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haitink's finest 14 hours, January 21, 2009

By 

E. J. Van Sten - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen [Box Set] (Audio CD)

Haitink has become jusly famous for his Bruckner and Mahler, but with his affinity for large scale musical works, he has been an outstanding conductor of opera as well. Evidence is provided by many recordings, of which I would give highest marks to Verdi's Don Carlo, Mozart's Don Giovanni and the Ring cycle.

When Haitink started recording the cycle with Die Walküre, his Ring experience was limited but you'd never know if from listening to these discs. The Siegfried and Götterdämmerung followed a run in Covent Garden and although Haitink sounds more secure in these later works, the overall impression of transparency and structure remains. With the Bayerischen Rundfunk playing like gods for him, the results are hugely exciting.

His singers are excellent, as well. James Morris is the standout, providing a Wotan that is not only memorable, but very well and beautifully sung. He recorded the same role at the same time for Levine, and here he is just as good if not better. The other principals range from good (Adam, Tomlinson) to great (Marton, Jerusalem, Goldberg, Studer, Hampson).

Recorded sound provides a realistic but slightly recessed sound stage common to many EMI recordings, in which the singers are well integrated. All in all, this is essential listening.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent, Emotive Ring At An Affordable Price - You Won't Be Hating Haitink, October 1, 2011

By 

NwappMX7 (VA, US) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen [Box Set] (Audio CD)

I had wanted to listen to a complete recording of Der Ring des Nibelungen for over 10 years but did not get a chance to pick one up until a few weeks ago (I had listened to plenty of excerpts and highlights before). Well, I'm glad I did because I finally got to listen to one of the most monumental pieces of drama - music or otherwise - ever conceived. So after experiencing the whole Ring for the first time can I recommend this set to others, either relative newbies like myself or experienced Wagnerites? Well, yes, although there are some reservations.

Orchestral-wise this may be the finest Ring ever. Some conductors like to take this very long cycle of music very fast (like Böhm), sometimes even to the point of brutality (Solti) to highlight the dark drama in the Ring, while others (like Knappertsbusch) like to go a little slower to highlight the lyricism in Wagner's music... sometimes to the point of going too slow and inducing slumber (Goodall). Bernard Haitink strikes a balance between the two methods and draws out an emotional expressiveness while maintaining a dramatic urgency. This is not simply taking a middle-of-the-road approach or sitting on the fence musically - Haitink is one of the few conductors (that I have heard anyway) to bring true balance to the orchestral music of Richard Wagner's magnum opus. Amazingly he does this while not putting an egotistical personal stamp on it ("This is MY Ring!") - in fact, he doesn't put an egotistical stamp on anything at all here. You won't see his picture anywhere on the packaging, for instance. How often does that happen? Kudos.

The singers are mostly good. I really liked James Morris as Wotan - powerful and commanding! Siegfried Jerusalem is great in his namesake role. All of the other parts are well done too. Unfortunately - as many of those who have reviewed this have already said - the weak link on this set is Brünnhilde, played here by Eva Marton. Now, I don't *hate* Marton's voice, and I thought that she was good in Die Walküre - powerful and dramatic but not overly so, and she does manage to do okay (just) during her Immolation Scene at the end of Götterdämmerung. But on the rest of that opera and Siegfried she is... less than satisfactory. She's fine in those later operas when she's at lower volume, but the moment the loudness starts to go up, well... let's just say I was reminded of the sound of the phaser weapons on Star Trek ("Set soprano on stun, Mr. Spock!"). After a while I kinda got used to it, but if Brünnhilde is the make-it-or-break-it factor for you when it comes to a Ring Cycle you may want to pass on this one.

Well, enough about the actual music (because others here have reviewed this *far* better than I ever could). What about the set that this wonderful music comes in? Well, this is a budget-priced compact box set and fits very nicely on your shelf with less space taken up compared to the old individual opera boxes. This box from EMI comes with 14 CDs in cardboard sleeves and a small booklet that gives a synopsis of the plot. There is no libretto included here (like all modern opera sets) but that isn't a big problem for me as I feel that you shouldn't be reading along with a 15 hour long music drama in a teeny-tiny little CD booklet anyway... go get yourself a libretto (I got this one) and have fun - your eyes will thank you. I would have liked the booklet to have a little more information on this recording of the Ring - info on the conductor and singers, for instance - but I guess that wasn't deemed important by the makers of this product. Oh well. I also didn't like the cardboard sleeves for the CDs that much - I realize that they did this so all of the discs could fit in the box and save space and money (for which I am grateful - I would not have been able to afford this otherwise) but the discs are harder to extract than from a standard CD case. So, there's a trade-off. It is up to you to decide whether it is worth it or not to get this or one of the older sets. On a positive bonus note I would like to point out that I really like the box art for this: a single flaming ring... very simple, very elegant, very cool.

In conclusion, I enjoyed this Ring very much and would recommend it to first time listeners for its fine balance and awesome conducting. However, I realize that the leading lady might be problematic for some - I would suggest listening to some sound samples from this; if the sound of Eva Marton's voice bothers you then you might not want to pick this up - you'll be listening to quite a lot of it. But if it doesn't then go ahead and get this and prepare to be immersed in a powerful and involving drama of greed and selflessness, power and submission, helplessness and heroism, fate and determination, hate and love - in short the totality of human emotion and experience in 15 hours of music. What more could you ask for?