Search - Wagner, James Levine, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra :: Der Ring Des Nibelungen

FINE RECORDING FOR THE PRICE

Music lover | Philadelphia | 11/12/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."

"Furchtbar nun erfind ich des Fluches Kraft!"

Eric S. Kim | Southern California | 05/15/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are over 20 complete recordings of Richard Wagner's "Der Ring Des Nibelungen". This, with James Levine and the Metropolitan Opera, is one of them.



This conductor has his own fair share of Herbert von Karajan's lyricism, Only, his lyricism is softer and much slower than Karajan's. Sometimes you'll be annoyed at his plodding tempi in parts such as "Wotan confronts Siegfried" or "Loge confronts Alberich", but you'll be amazed by the stunning splendor of "Annunciation of Death" and "Forest Murmurs". Be on the sharp lookout, also, for Levine's perfect "Erda's Warning".



The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra is the real star on this set. The woodwinds and brass have been refined and taken with great care for the score. The strings sound majestic and heavenly, though they sound a bit too tired to continue on in Gotterdammerung. The Finale to Rheingold is absolutely stunning (the trumpets and trombones will not disappoint), and the Second Act of Walkure is the most impressive, the most refined.



For aside from the fantastic orchestra that this recording is famous for, this set could've improved with better singers. James Morris is a notch below Hotter, Adam, and Bailey, but he overpowers Fischer-Dieskau and McIntyre pretty much throughout both Rings. His multi-dimensional performances are compelling in Walkure. "Wotan's Farewell" should not be missed.



Hildegard Behrens is just like Birgitt Nilsson and Regine Crespin. While she's not the best, she is definitely another perfect Brunnhilde of choice. She's at her most dazzling when she performs Walkure (Levine) and Siegfried (Sawallisch). The one problem I had with Behrens is her singing the low notes; she sounds too gruff and gagged.



Gary Lakes and Jessye Norman as Siegmund and Sieglinde don't seem to hit their marks in Walkure. Lakes does have that heroic quality to it, but he sounds tired when he's performing in Acts One and Two. Norman can truly sing, but she doesn't fit as Sieglinde: she doesn't sound young and innocent enough. I would've loved to hear her as Brunnhilde.



Oh, Reiner Goldberg. At least you tried. Seriously, he sounds too tedious (especially in Gotterdammerung Act Three Scene Two) and too old. Levine should've chose Rene Kollo or Siegfried Jerusalem when he recorded his studio Ring.



Ekkehard Wlaschiha is one hell of a vigorous Alberich. I praise him in Rheingold Scene One and Three. His performance in Siegfried could've improved with more distrustfulness towards Mime and the Wanderer.



Heinz Zednik is an excellent Mime, VERY fun to listen to. There is much humor and eccentricity in his voice, and that's what makes his dwarf much more compelling than Gregory Dempsey's dwarf. His performance in Rheingold Scene Three is pure gold, while his performance in Siegfried (particularly "Willkommen, Siegfried!") is a stunning achievement.



Siegfried Jerusalem doesn't seem like a good choice for Loge. He's better off playing Siegmund or Siegfried, but not a demi-god.



As for the rest of the cast, they're good in their own way. The Valkries have the same majestic force that's found in the Karajan recording. Siegfried Lorenz isn't a very good Donner, and his "Hammer Song" sounds forced. Birgitta Svenden is a fine Erda, and I love every minute of her singing. Christ Ludwig is the most believable Fricka around, but she does sound a bit past her prime here (her performance in Karl Bohm's live recording is much better). Matti Salminen is the one-and-only Hagen, his voice is has the perfect blackness that fits the character. The Three Norns somewhat fail in bringing the Gotterdammerung Prologue to life; Marek Janowski and Karajan have brilliant norns.



Overall, James Levine's slow tempi may be distracting at times, but they work well if you want to focus more on Wagner's music than on the drama itself."

Levine has no Brunnhilde or Siegfried--what can you do?

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 10/06/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Levine's cycle certainly has excellent points that can be staccked up against other Ring cycles. It s far better conducted and played than the contemporaneous Haitink cycle for EMI. The individual singers are world class, and some, like the Wotan of James Morris, the Loge of Siegfried Jerusalem, the Sieglinde of Jessye Norman, would be glories on any set ever recorded.



Some listeners, myself included, are dismayed by Levin'es often slow, even ponderous tempos. But one can adjust to them. What one can't adjust to is the gargly, weak Siegfried of Reiner Goldberg, who isn't remotely a Heldentenor. Unfortunately, he also got the job under Haitink, so scarce were viable Siegfrieds at this time, the late Eighties. Levine has a very musical and appealing Brunnhilde in Hildegard Behrens, but despite her gleaming top notes she doesn't have a true Brunnhilde voice for power and impact. To compae her to supreme Brunnhildes like Leider, Flagstad or Nilsson would be pointless, but Behrens isn't up to Astrid Varnay or Martha Modl, either, both wonderful Brunnhildes during the Fifties at Bayreuth. (The best way to experience Behrens was live on stage, since she had great dramatic appeal and a good figure.)



The Levine Ring is a reminder, that the only way to build up a truly great Ring cycle on CD is to pick and choose among all the available choices. You have to weigh lots of pluses and minues before making a selection. In Levine's case, I don't find that any single opera would be my first or second chhoice, except perhaps his Rheingold--buy the DVDs instead and enjoy the Met's impressive naturalistic staging."