Search - Richard [Classical] Wagner, Michael Halasz, Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra :: Wagner: The Flying Dutchman, Lohengrin, Tannhäuser (Orchestral Highlights)

Slow, deliberate, detailed, weak on bass

Leslie Richford | Selsingen, Lower Saxony | 10/14/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is, of course, not a CD for Wagner fanatics; rather, it is for people like me who have heard nothing much good about him but still want to satisfy their curiosity (but at budget price). In the circles that I move in, Wagner's reputation is not good, and I was doubtful as to whether I should listen to this at all. Having done so, I can only say that the experience was not half as dreadful as I had anticipated, although Wagner's music itself is not really my 'cup of tea' as we say in England: despite some melodious interludes, it tends to be too diffuse for my taste, while some aspects make me wonder what must have been going on in a brain that could produce such stuff. But having said that, this Naxos production, while definitely not top class and being rather weak on bass, has the advantage of a fairly clear-sounded recording and of some very deliberate playing by the Slovak musicians which enables one to hear and perceive a lot of detail from these busy, busy scores. The overture from the 'Flying Dutchman', the best-known of the pieces played, is probably also the weakest on the disc; a comparison with the 1960 Philips production with the Vienna Symphonic Orchestra ('Wiener Symphoniker') directed by Wolfgang Sawallisch, also available at budget price, showed up the limits of the Slovak production very clearly, the Austrian orchestra being superior in almost every department (although the quality of the digital re-mastering leaves a lot to be desired). With the 'Venusberg Music', one could say the same, but Halász does have the advantage of putting this in its context by playing it as a direct continuation of the rather lovely overture to Tannhäuser. Halász also adds the Entrance of the Guests from Act II and Tannhäuser's Pilgrimage, both of which pieces seem to me to be the highlights of this recording. The 'Lohengrin' excerpts again seem a little too deliberate. All in all, a helpful, educative disc that might make you want to listen to more Wagner if you are that way inclined."