| Originally Posted by PSmith08 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'll give you my up-to-date recommendations first, and then some comments. Der fliegende Holländer Klemperer (EMI 1967) or Böhm (DG 1971). Tannhäuser Sinopoli (DGG 1988) or Gerdes (DGG 1969) Lohengrin Kempe (EMI 1963) Tristan und Isolde Kleiber (DGG 1982) or Furtwängler (EMI 1952) Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg Von Karajan (EMI 1970) Der Ring des Nibelungen Solti (Decca 1958-1965) or Keilberth (Testament 1955) Parsifal Knappertsbusch (Philips 1962) or Kubelík (DGG/Arts Archive 1980) So, there are my current recommendations. However, Wagner's oeuvre is so massive and so diverse that I'd caution against approaching it all at once. I'd recommend "best of" or "bleeding chunks" CDs at first. It's a good way to hear a good cross-section of Wagner or just the Ring. Pick something like Tristan or Holländer, if you decide to jump in, work your way through the earlier stuff and Meistersinger, then the Ring and Parsifal. It bears noting that there are a lot (no, a lot) of Wagner interpretations on disc. Some are very faithful to Wagner's intentions, style, and music - read: conservative - and others have their own styles. You should sample and find the style you like the most. It helps getting grounded in the "classical" recordings, but you'll want more than that as time goes by. Wagner, too, wrote his "operas" as music-dramas, so you should get a good standalone libretto and familiarize yourself with the story and the action. Otherwise, you're missing half the fun. Welcome to Wagner. There's no sense mourning your wallet now. It's too late.
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| Originally Posted by PSmith08 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'll give you my up-to-date recommendations first, and then some comments. Der fliegende Holländer Klemperer (EMI 1967) or Böhm (DG 1971). Tannhäuser Sinopoli (DGG 1988) or Gerdes (DGG 1969) Lohengrin Kempe (EMI 1963) Tristan und Isolde Kleiber (DGG 1982) or Furtwängler (EMI 1952) Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg Von Karajan (EMI 1970) Der Ring des Nibelungen Solti (Decca 1958-1965) or Keilberth (Testament 1955) Parsifal Knappertsbusch (Philips 1962) or Kubelík (DGG/Arts Archive 1980) |
| Originally Posted by bigshot /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'll second all of those (except I like Nelsson on Philips better than either of your Fliegende Hollander choices...) See ya Steve |
| Originally Posted by PSmith08 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well, the drawback to Nelsson today is that the performance is on DVD and directed by Harry Kupfer, who takes - shall we say - a non-literal interpretation to the Bayreuth stage. Wagner neophytes should stay as far away as possible from Chéreau and Kupfer, lest they think that's the only way to stage Wagner. |
| Originally Posted by PSmith08 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well, the drawback to Nelsson today is that the performance is on DVD and directed by Harry Kupfer, who takes - shall we say - a non-literal interpretation to the Bayreuth stage. Wagner neophytes should stay as far away as possible from Chéreau and Kupfer, lest they think that's the only way to stage Wagner. Worse yet, that they think that's the "right" way to stage Wagner. Those are brilliant stagings, but only once you "get" Wagner (insofar as that's ever possible) and see what the directors are trying to do. Better to stick with recordings and then, once the music and drama become familiar, wade into the various productions. |
