Ring Cycle - opinions please

[joggerjayne]

If I leave this thread here, maybe somebody will stumble across it.

I want a "nitty gritty" opinion.

I've drifted from Ring Cycle to Ring Cycle ...

I had the Solti/Vienna Philharmonic recording on vinyl.

Then I switched to the Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic recording, because I was liking a lot of Karajan's recordings with the BPO.

I also had the Boulez/Bayreuth recording, after the whole cycle was shown on the telly, some years ago.

When CDs came along, I bought the Karajan version again. That was probably a mistake.

I'm going to buy a new CD set, but ...

... which one would you buy? or which one have you got?

The Solti recording has Birgit Nilsson as Brunhilde. Was she better than Kirsten Flagstad? Not in my view ... I don't think anyone, ever, was better than Flagstad.

The Stiedry/Metropotitan recording has Flagstad as Brunhilde in Die Wulkure, but not throughout the cycle - so what's going on there? That one's out, I think.

Karl Bohm/Bayreuth ... Birgit Nilsson again ... but then, why not go back to the Solti?

So Solti has Nilsson (Brunhilde), Hans Hotter (Wotan) and Lauritz Melchior (Siegfried) ... and that's a serious "A List" as casts go.

But then ... the big fly in the ointment ... the Furtwangler/La Scala recording (the 1950, not the 1953 version). Probably the conductor who knew Wagner best. The sound quality is less that brilliant, but omg ... it has Flagstad as Brunhilde.

Am I answering my own question?

Looking back, I've started rambling, so I'll stop here, and post the thread ...

... if anyone has any views, I'm all ears. Or eyes.

[joggerjayne]

Forgot to mention ... the Furtwangler recording is �141.00 ... but, well, you know ...

[SeaJayPea]

There are a few different used and new versions of the 1950 recording on CD here. From �40

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_?url=s earch-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=furtwangler+r ing

I confess, I still prefer vinyl. Has a warmer sound somehow.

[joggerjayne]

SeaJayPea ... I know what you mean, and "warmer" is exactly the word that I'd use.

Vinyl produces the sound of the orchestra. A CD produces the sound of a machine, reading a binary code and trying to impersonate an orchestra. Vinyl is better ...

... IF (and it's a big IF) you have good enough equipment to do it justice.

My turntable was good, but it wouldn't have impressed a serious listener ... so I "sold out" and opted for CDs.

Also (and don't take this the wrong way), I think vinyl is a bit of a "bloke" thing ... all that faffing aroung with cleaning cloths, new needles, balancing the turntable, etc. Frankly, I couldn't be arsed with it all.

Anyway, thank you for your reply.

[joggerjayne]

Oh, CJP ... I forgot to add ...

... thank you for the link.

J x

[joggerjayne]

SeaJayPea ...

I've opted for the Furtwangler 1950 La Scala recording that was on Amazon.

I appreciate the link, but I'm going to order it from the music shop in the town tomorrow. Just a funny little thing of mine about not buying books or CDs online.

J x

[paraffin]

Hi,
What about a DVD set? If so, I quite like the Met production of round about 1990? James Levine in the pit, Hildegard Behrens/ Jessye Norman/James Morris/Matti Salminen/Siegfried Jerusalem/Christa Ludwig/Kurt Moll etc.
Very traditional and very well filmed (Brian Large)
Sound and picture excellent.
Could pick up the set for around �40 new on www.find-dvd.co.uk

[pbeach]

Solti on Vinyl - Enough said :-)

[joggerjayne]

Paraffin ...

It's hard to argue against a Behrens/Norman/Ludwig lineup. Very tempting.

The only thing is ... part of the appeal for me is the "own imagination" aspect of the Ring. Like having a story read to you.

pbeach ... are you saying that you can't beat the Solti recording on vinyl? Again, I'd struggle to find any compelling argument against that.

I don't suppose you've heard the Furtwangler recording? (1950, obviously)

[pbeach]

Its the version I have - and I like it. So I have not looked for alternatives....

[joggerjayne]

I can see that pbeach.

I wish I still had my Solti set.

The only thing is, I don't have a decent turntable now.

Critical opinion is certainly highly pro the Solti recording.