Customer Reviews

Wagner: The Valkyrie

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I have never been a fan of opera in translation, but I must say that Andrew Porter's rendering of The Ring in English is amazing. He uses modern, not archaic, English, and the word choice is so very earthy and Germanic that the noble yet somewhat severe atmosphere of the Teutonic myths is conveyed perfectly. The sound, in other words, is an elegantly Germanic, and totally appropriate for the music and the Story it tells. It is not true that you can't understand the English anyway, because you can understand if you care to pay any attention at all. The translation is lucid, and so it the marvelous singing that conveys it.

Goodall's sense of music drama is lush, and takes some getting used to after the crash-and-burn Solti set, but after a time or two it seems just right. Goodall is not always slower than the rest, either; for example, the famous Ride of the Valkyries that begins Act III is quicker than Solti's surprisingly slow and heavy account. It is the most exciting that I have heard--and I have heard quite a few--but it is not so fast that the power is lost in favor of urgency.

This is not an urgent Die Walkure, and it is all the better for it. Goodall takes the time to actually tell the story, and is sensitive to the drama's needs over what could be called convention. For example, Wotan's Farewell doesn't thunder out after Brunnhilde's final declamation, like in so many recordings; rather, Goodall's interpretation is more dreamy, mysterious, and appropriately trance-like, in keeping with the action on stage.

I own the complete Solti Ring, but I must say I will be the first in line to get each new installment of this remarakable Ring as soon they hit the shelves. If you are new to Wagner, and are willing to make the plunge into a complete Ring, then start with this one and see if you want to continue. This recording is definitely one of the great Rings, and the superb translation will open up the work in ways that following the libretto just won't. I promise that you won't be able to put this one away easily. Get it!

I had long cringed at the thought of this magnificant masterpiece recorded in English. Even after reading several rave reviews on this cylce that I've read by authoritive Wagnerites and critics, I was still skeptical. Finally, I decided to add Goodall's 'Ring' as my third complete cycle (after Solti & Bohm) for one reason: because it was in English and I felt it would enhance my understand of 'The Ring.' In fact, after achieving that "higher understanding" I was planning on selling this set on Ebay. That was, of course, before I heard this magnificant recording.

During the course of my research on 'The Goodall Ring' most of the praised seemed to heighten around 'Siegfried,' which is my absolute favorite of the cycle. That also helped to seal the deal. As the critics said, 'Siegfried' under Goodall is excellent, but not as monumental as Solti's reading, which IMHO is the greatest recording of 'Siegfried.'

The set that stands out, to me, in 'The Goodall Ring' is this recording; The Valkyrie. It is absolutely breathtaking. Not only is it my favorite of this set, it is my favorite Valkyrie recording period (I am very familiar with Boehm's, Solti's, Karajan's, Furthwanglers, Levines, and others). Alberto Remedios (Siegmund here and Siegfried in the last two operas) is truly magnificant. It is the best Siegmund I have heard on disc (and his Siegfried rivals Windgassen). Coupled with Margaret Curphey (Sieglinde), you get the most beautiful and moving duo I have heard on record. The duet in Act I is simply glorious. You also get the bonus of Norman Bailey's triumphant Wotan (and Wanderer too). He has such command and prescene. He sounds like a God. Throw in Rita Hunter, who holds her own as Brunnhilde, Goodall's miraculous conducting, and excellent playing by the orchestra and it all adds up to a stunning recording.

I can only say that in a way it's a shame this set is in English. Were it not, I believe Goodall's 'Ring' would be one of the most talked about, popular, and sought after complete recordings of the cycle. I can only say that I am so happy that I finally opened up to opera recorded in a different language than written.

I have fallen completely in love with Goodall's entire cycle. And, I have fallen in love with 'The Ring' all over again.

This album was recorded in 1976; back then I owned this entire Ring on vinyl and saw the Porter translation live on stage in Seattle. The CD transfer is outstanding and it is wonderful to revisit this unique recording.

Unique...not just because it is in English but because of the conducting of Reginald Goodall. Yes the tempos are broad...my are they broad!! The recording is assembled from three nights in London and is thus "live".

Porter's English is easier to take than most of the translations you may find in German/English parallel librettos. In fact, it was rather revolutionary at the time for being true to Wagner and almost conversational.

The recording seems excellent in the brass, winds, and lower strings -- but somehow less than totally focused in the upper string registers. The singers are excellent to adequate. Remedios is no Melchior, but who is? Bailey's Wotan is somewhat reminiscent of Hotter. Hunter's Bruenhilde seems to be highly regarded by some, but she would not be my preference in this role.

As to Goodall -- well you either love him or you hate him. The tempos are broad, as mentioned; sometimes this allows us to hear orchestral detail that leaves one in awe of Wagner all over again. ...and, alas, sometimes it gets too slow, too often.

I wouldn't buy this for the English -- you won't understand most of it without libretto in hand, anyhow. I'd buy it as an alternative (or 2nd set) to Solti, Karajan, Boehm, or even Janowski.

The good--Hunter, Bailey, the Valkyrie octet, and Grant are all wonderful with beautiful voices, dramatic alertness, and a lyricism that is unmatched in any other ring recording. Hunter might not have a true Wagneriandramaticsopran voice but she shines in the role with her incisive delivery, poise, and gleaming tone. Bailey is probably the best Wotan in any Walkyrie recording since he has the dramatic aspects plus a large, beautiful bass-baritone voice. Remedios as Siegmund doesn't quite reach their level because the role, although a tenor role, requires a functional range of a baritone. Remedios, no matter how hard he tries, cannot emulate this: his voice is simply too light. Otherwise, he has probably the most beautiful voice ever to sing Siegmund and his interpretation is fascinating. Goodall's spacious and slow tempi work the best here in the second ring opera. The momentum and adrenaline has built up so much that by the final scenes, the effect is nothing short of breathtaking. Brunnhilde's and Wotan's final scenes work in a way that the pain, heartache, love, and longing are all magically conveyed not only in purely musical terms, but by Bailey and Hunter also. No other conductor captures the moment when Wotan kisses Brunnhilde's forehead and takes her god status away like Goodall. It is a truly shattering moment. The bad--Curphey as Sieglinde has all the dramtic temperament and musical alertness one could hope for. In fact she delivers in spades in the climatic moments that few other Sieglindes dare. Unfortunately, her voice in unphonogenic and isn't caught well at all. Neither is Anne Howard as Fricka--a shame since she is a fearsome singing-actress. The ugly-- Why didn't they make a studio recording of the entire Goodall ring? I know Goodall preferred the live performance conditions, but we at home have to put up with stage noises, audience interruptions, variable balances, misfires and mistakes from the musicians, and a recording environment that isn't conduscive to capturing the adroit English translation. What makes it more disappointing is that Goodall recorded Act III of Gotterdammerung in the studio with the same singers and in English; we lose no dramatic energy plus everything is crisp and polished in this setting. An opportunity missed. I still wouldn't want to be without this recording and Enough of the English is audible to bring more dimension to Wagner's masterpiece for non-German speaking listeners.

This performance of *Die Valkure,* the second and most popular opera in Wagner's Ring Cycle, is musically splendid. Its special significance, however, is that it is sung in English. An English performance of the Ring is perhaps more important than that of any other opera(s), because Wagner's libretti are suffused with his ideas about society, fate, justice, and love. Even if (at times) you need to read along to understand what the singers are saying, *hearing* the lyrics in English is truly stirring in a way that performances in your non-native language cannot match.
A particular stand-out on this recording is the Wotan. His timbre, diction, and delivery perfectly embody the troubled god who tries desperately, and in vain, to keep the world under his control. His angst and wrath are utterly convincing.

This is one of three Walkure's in my collection: the very underrated Leinsdorf, the thrilling Boehm and this one with Goodall. I believe Goodall is right up there with the best of them. Remedios, Hunter and Bailey sing beautifully and with sufficient drama. I'll go out on a musical limb and say I believe Bailey is one of the finest Wotan's on disc. Many will disagree but I think he has the measure of the role, the power to pull it off and a burnished timber that never becomes coarse under powerful climaxes... Remedios may well be the star of the trilogy along with Hunter and Bailey. His Siegmund is beautifully sung and his Siegfried by the way, is no mean stint either. Would that we had tenors that could sing Siegfried without sounding stretched beyond their limits. I am continually puzzled by the bad reviews that the orchestra playing receives from ARG, Classics Today and a few others. The ENO is not a Concertgebouw or Vienna Philharmonic but I think they play beautifully, a few clinkers notwithstanding. For a live show, they do a pretty d..... good job. THe sound from both orchestra and singers is exceptionally fine. This set belong in your collection if you like Wagner and, Die Walkure, in particular. If I had been at the performance in the 1970's I would have come home very happy, satisfied and richer for the experience.

Being properly the First Evening to Wagner's epic Ring Cycle, the Valyrie is the most famous out of the four operas, mainly because of its Ride of the Valkyries and the Magic Fire Music. This Valkyrie, conducted by Reginald Goodall and performed by the English National Opera, is worth listening to.

It's true that Goodall has the slowest tempi ever for a Ring recording: a total of 16 hours and 50 minutes, two hours more than the average Ring recording! But it's not at all bad. Sometimes the slow pacing works, and sometimes it doesn't. "Wotan's Farewell" isn't taken at a slow pace at all, and I do miss the slower approach that James Levine took. "Ride of the Valkyries" is just right, but I do miss Karl Bohm's energetic storm. And let's not forget about the orchestra. I love the bass clarinet that plays after Wotan's cry of dismay in Act Two, Scene Two. The strings and brass in "Magic Fire Music" are astonishing, it's great! The low brass in "Annunciation of Death" makes the scene so much more tragic than in Georg Solti's "Annunciation". So the orchestra gets another point.

The cast can only be described as "amazing." Norman Bailey, Alberto Remedios, and Margaret Curphy would be the ultimate Wotan, Siegmund, and Sieglinde for the English language. Rita Hunter is at her strongest here in "Valyrie" and she sings with her heart and soul perfectly. What I wouldn't give if I had a chance to see her live back in the 70's. Clifford Grant is a very good Hunding (just not the most impressive), while Anne Howard is a very believable Fricka. The Valkyrie cast are no match with Furtwangler and Bohm's cast, but they still can make the whole third act worthwhile.

And so as the "Magic Fire Music" plays on, we get a little sense of what's going to happen in "Siegfried."


The Box Set: Wagner: The Ring Cycle (Box Set)
The Rhinegold (Part 1): Wagner: The Rhinegold
Siegfried (Part 3): Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
Twilight of the Gods (Part 4): The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)

After sitting through The Rhinegold, which ran almost 3 hours with several tedious stretches, I was somewhat hesitant to proceed with this performance. Compared to the earlier opera, while Goodall's tempo remained slow overall, it did not feel like it was plodding or dragging along. There are welcome brisker sections of the score where the conductor picked up the pace considerably. Unlike the Rhinegold which was like half an hour longer than normal, the Valkyrie was done in just under 4 hours and 10 minutes - about 13 minutes slower than Karajan and 20 more than Solti and Christian Thielemann, which is not much at all for the longer work. The openings of every Act had no loss of momentum.

The strengths of the Rhinegold continue here, being in particular the performance of Norman Bailey as Wotan, the fine balance between the singers and orchestra, and the rich detail of the score. It was very moving at the end. The singing overall is of high standard, with even the Valkyries acquitting themselves well, although as noted elsewhere Alberto Remedios as Siegmund was stressed at times.

This is a finer performance on the whole than the Rhinegold, and I look forward to the next instalment of the Ring.