Cheap Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen (Music) (Richard Wagner, Mark Baker, Hei-Kyung Hong, Siegfried Jerusalem, Diane Kesling, Hildegard Behrens, Linda Kelm, Kathleen Battle, Reiner Goldberg, Helga Dernesch) Price

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Customer Reviews of Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen

FINE RECORDING FOR THE PRICE
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.