[evanft]

It seems that Solti's Der Ring des Nibelungen was issued on CD twice, around 1990 and then in 1997. I've seen no indication that the sound between these two sets is different. Anyone compare?

 

[bigshot]

The differences are very slight. The more recent version has a little less tape hiss, but the sound of the music is about the same. No reason to upgrade if you have the earlier set.

See ya
Steve

 

[evanft]

Thanks, I PM'd you.

 

[mbhaub]

And it's still overpriced!

 

[evanft]

I'm going with the older version. I just bought the last 2 parts off Amazon marketplace for around $21 total.

 

[DavidMahler]

I like the newer version better, its a little clearer and the packaging is great....

That being said, The Bohm Ring Cycle slams Solti

 

[vcoheda]

i lost count of how many rings i have. all have their strengths and weaknesses. overall though, i would say that the solti is one of the best, despite the weak die walkure.

a reviewer on amazon (Eric S. Lim: "Das Leben - doch nicht den Ring!") gives a pretty nice overall of a fair number of rings. came across it the other day. worth a read.

Amazon.com: Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen: Richard Wagner, Daniel Barenboim, Bayreuther Festspiele Orchester, Anne Evans, Annette Küttenbaum, Birgitta Svenden, Bodo Brinkmann, Eva Johansson, Eva-Maria Bundschuh, Graham Clark, Gunter Von Kannen, Heb

 

[PSmith08]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidMahler /img/forum/go_quote.gif I like the newer version better, its a little clearer and the packaging is great.... That being said, The Bohm Ring Cycle slams Solti

But for the not-quite-first-rate Wotan of Theo Adam you'd have a case; also, there is some room for debate between Solti's Wiener Philharmoniker and Böhm's Bayreuth forces. The differences in interpretation can, of course, wait for another time. They're non-trivial and rather a lot rides on them, all things considered.

 

[evanft]

I wanted a good overall Ring, which the Solti seems to provide.

 

[DavidMahler]

I trust Bohm with Wagner more than any other conductor (including Furtwangler) because I think his conducting brings out the absolute best in the orchestral writing.......if you compare Bohm's Tristan to any other version, it is really mind-opening.....you may not agree that its the best, but you will agree that it is better than most. His approach seems less weighty than Solti's. Wagner is very easy to weigh down.

 

[bigshot]

The perfect Ring doesn't exist. If I could choose from multiple studio cycles, I'd select Karajan's Rheingold, Walter's First act Walkure and Leinsdorf for the rest, either Janowski or Goodall for Siegfried and Solti for Gotterdammerung. The best live Ring is Furtwangler's La Scala.

I like Bohm's Ring a lot, but it's a little fast. His Tristan is perfect however.

See ya
Steve

 

[vcoheda]

picking and choosing, i might go with HvK's das rheingold with the lyrical wotan of fischer-dieskau; the die walkure by bohm (best i ever heard); siegfried, probably solti, although this is my least favorite opera in the cycle, so not sure; and for gotterdammerung, either the '51 knappertsbusch or for better sound the levine (can't beat salminen's hagen).

 

[evanft]

I wasn't really into the whole idea of assembling the cycle piecemeal, as I kinda like having some level consistency in performance and interpretation. Plus, Solti's entire cycle is going to probably end up costing me less than 2 sections of one of the other cycles.

 

[bigshot]

The best bargain of all Rings is Mike Richter's El Anillo Ring from the Teatro Colon. Pretty good stereo sound and a great cast for ten bucks.

http://www.imagemogul.com/ae1020c.html

All of his Wagner CD-ROMs are worth getting.

http://www.imagemogul.com/opera.html

See ya
Steve

 

[Drosera]

Good choices, vcoheda, I can concur with HvK (studio or live) for Das Rheingold and Böhm for Die Walküre. I think I would add Haitink for Siegfried (very underestimated, such a brilliantly subtle interpretation) and, a bit grudgingly, Solti for Götterdämmerung.

Just to disagree with Psmith

, I think Theo Adam is the best interpretation of the role of Wotan on record (both for Böhm and for Janowski). Wotan is about more than a booming voice, it's about insight, and Herr Adam has it in spades. (But then again, I've always been a Theo Adam-admirer and Hans Hotter-detractor.)