Search - Richard Wagner, Daniel Barenboim, Chicago Symphony Orchestra :: Ring Hlts

Either Barenboim sucks or the sound quality sucks or they bo

dv_forever | Michigan, USA | 09/24/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Something wrong is going on here. We've got the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, one of the finest orchestras in America with a reputation for the biggest, juiciest brass sound you can find. You've got a delicious program of Wagner Ring excerpts, mostly focusing on Gotterdammerung, the finale to the Ring cycle. Wagner composed magnificently for the brass instruments and we hear the Chicago brass section really pounce at the opportunity to tackle the massive beast that is Gotterdammerung.



But what in the hell is going on? Why are the tempos so lethargic, why does the music lack enthusiasm? Why is the sound so indistinct, soft-grained, murky and deviod of impact? The fault falls both on Barenboim for some lousy conducting and for the Erato engineers for their subpar, really subpar sound quality. I just can't enjoy listening to this recording.



Barenboim goes for the Furtwangler approach. If you actually ever heard Furtwangler do this music, then upon hearing Barenboim, you'd throw this CD out of the window as soon as possible! This is simply unacceptable. The final track is supposed to summarize the Ring cycle, the Gods are destroyed, Valhalla is on fire and we get to hear some outstanding Chicago brass work but the conducting is not on the same level and the recording is wretched. If the digital sound was top of the line, I might give this 3 stars. But really, what's the point of this if you can get Furtwangler instead? He gets more natural, brilliant sound quality even in old mono and the performances destroy anything that Barenboim could ever hope to do. Stick with Furtwangler or for modern stereo, Szell and Solti."