Cheap Wagner: Ring Des Nibelungen (Music) (Adam, Bracht, Moll, Stryczek, Janowski, Staas) Price

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Customer Reviews of Wagner: Ring Des Nibelungen

Janowski's conducting is ideal for living with - he keeps things moving along nicely, sets up climaxes perfectly and never loses sight of the overall structure of the operas. This thoroughly musical performance would be an ideal introduction for anyone coming fresh to the ring, as it lacks the eccentricities of other cycles that can overtake your expectations of what 'should be'. More experienced ring collectors, too, will find themselves enthralled by much in this bargain-priced set.

More than any of the recent recordings Janowski's casting quality runs deep into all the minor roles, and has the advantage of having the same casts for the same roles throughout the four operas. Since Amazon has not I will list the casts so you can see for yourself - anyone who knows singers will know what a treat they have in store.

Highlights are many, and there are even some highlights in the context of the whole recorded history of the Ring (especially considering this is the first in digital sound and still the most natural and clear recording available, with voices and orchestra in perfect balance).

Worthy of special mention are the young Jerusalem & Norman as Siegmund & Sieglinde (Act 1 of Die Walkure must be among the best ever); Nimsgern's articulate Alberich; the Rhinemaidens (have they ever sounded so beautiful?); Peter Schreier's ideally characterised Loge & Mime; and Kurt Moll's cavernous Hunding. Theo Adam's years of experience shine through a wonderfully lived-in if occasionally unsteady Wotan. The Valkyries, boasting several rising stars, are among the very best groups ever assembled.

Kollo's Siegfried is wonderful in the opera that bears his name, a little forced sometimes in Gotterdammerung but still musical. Altmeyer's Brunnhilde isn't particularly attention grabbing - pleasant in tone but a bit penny-plain. She is always adequate but something more insightful (a la Varnay or Behrens) would have been nice.

But I come back to the orchestral contribution, which is captured in the finest detail and most beautiful sound on disc. An unregrettable purchase.

Das Rheingold:

Wotan: Theo Adam
Donner: Karl-Heinz Stryczek
Froh: Eberhard Buchner
Loge: Peter Schreier
Alberich: Siegumnd Nimsgern
Mime: Christian Vogel
Fasolt: Roland Bracht
Fafner: Matti Salminen
Fricka: Yvonne Minton
Freia: Marita Napier
Erda: Ortrun Wenkel

Woglinde: Lucia Popp
Wellgunde: Uta Priew
Flosshilde: Hanna Schwarz

Die Walkure:

Siegmund: Siegfried Jerusalem
Hunding: Kurt Moll
Wotan: Theo Adam
Sieglinde: Jessye Norman
Brunnhilde: Jeannine Altmeyer
Fricka: Yvonne Minton
(Valkyries:)
Gerhilde: Eva-Maria Bundschuh
Ortlinde: Cheryl Studer
Waltraute: Ortrun Wenkel
Schwertleite: Anne Gjevang
Helmwiege: Ruth Falcon
Siegrune: Christel Borchers
Grimgarde: Kathleen Kuhlmann
Rossweisse: Uta Priew

Siegfried:

Siegfried: Rene Kollo
Mime: Peter Schreier
Der Wanderer: Theo Adam
Alberich: Siegmund Nimsgern
Fafner: Matti Salminen
Erda: Ortrun Wenkel
Brunnhilde: Jeannine Altmeyer
Voice of a Forest Bird: Norma Sharp

Gotterdammerung:

Siegfried: Rene Kollo
Gunther: Hans Gunter Nocker
Alberich: Siegmund Nimsgern
Hagen: Matti Salminen
Brunnhilde: Jeannine Altmeyer
Gutrune: Norma Sharp
Waltraute: Ortrun Wenkel
First Norn: Anne Gjevang
Second Norn: Daphne Evangelatos
Third Norn: Ruth Falcon
Woglinde: Lucia Popp
Wellgunde: Uta Priew
Flosshilde: Hanna Schwarz

Overlooked gem of a Ring!
This performance of the Ring features shimmering instrumentals from the Dresden Orchestra coupled with a carefully-assembled cast. Rene Kollo caps off his 70s and early 80s studio Wagner recordings with a spirited performance - especially noteworthy are the forging aria and his interchange with the woodbird.
If you have not heard them,this orchestra also did Meistersinger in 1970 with Karajan and Tristan und Isolde in 1982 with Kleiber - both are heartfelt, carefully rendered performances; as Karajan said , the playing of the Dresdeners "...shines like old gold..."
In summary, this is another excellent Wagner recording from the Dreseden orchestra, and at a bargain price as well. Enjoy!

Young and fresh
This is the best production in the after-Solti-Böhm-and-Karajan-era. It is only comparable with the Boulez Ring from 1980. Janowski made this recording during the years of 1980-83 when the DDR still had money to place in such an event and the Dresdener Staatskapelle still was a great orchestra. This recording was reissued by BMG in 1997.
We have here very good singing allover, especially in Der Walkure. Listen to the fresh Siegfried Jerusalem as Siegmund and compare him with his own disastrous Siegfrieds and Tristan with Barenboim in the early 90:ies. And compare Rene
Kollo's Siegfried here with the very very tired Kollo in the Sawallish production from 1989.
Jeannine Altmeyer is a wonderful Brunnhilde only to compare with Gwyneth Jones and the older generations. Behrens, with Sawallish and Levine, and Anne Evans, with Barenboim, just don't have the qualities for Brunnhilde. To say nothing about the poor Carla Pohl in the budget production of Neuhold.
Moll is outstanding as Hunding and Salminen as Fafner and Hagen. They are just as good as the older generation: Greindl, Frick, Ridderbusch, Talvela. And you cannot make a good Ring if you don't have good basses. Listen to Neuhold for example.
All in all. The Janowski Ring is a very good buy and to a nice price.