Free Wagner HD album for download from Qobuz
Posted by: GeeJay on 21 January 2015
Gustavo Dudamel and the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela playing extracts of Wagner's Operas.
(Access code Qobuz sent me was 5B368E4C which may or may not work for you).
Was sent an email from Qobuz tonight and listening to it now. Very powerful and captivating.....
Cor. Nice one George. Thanks very much.
Pleasure Harry!
I was beginning to think that no-one else was interested in this!
ATB. George.
As it's free I thought I'd give it a go too.
I need to get around to downloading it, as I got the email a couple of days ago. I don't know much Wagner, so it's a good opportunity to hear something new.
Thanks from me too George. Downloading now.
Another thanks for the tip.
Playing now. The helicopters are about to napalm the village...
Pleasure Harry!
I was beginning to think that no-one else was interested in this!
ATB. George.
Hi George,
i got got it already last weekend and thought I drop a note on the forum but forgot to, thanks for stepping in :-)
Bert
Many thanks George, downloaded and ready to go at some stage...
PS Thanks and nice one Qobuz keep up the good work!
Thanks George . I've only just seen this and downloading now . Talking of the Helicopters , I watched that last night by coincidence . Must have been a sign .
Cheers .
Pete.
Top man! Cheers GeeJay.
Thanks Gee Jay - downloaded earlier this evening
Regards Chris
It's great to get an introduction to this music for free.
To those of you may who listen to, and enjoy this music for the first time, with all due respect to these 'bleeding chunks', please seek out Solti's ring cycle, to discover how sublime this music is.
I have not heard this, but it is advertised as "orchestral music from Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle and Tristan und Isolde'' but please be aware that a lot of the music (Ride of the Valkyries, Forest Murmers & obviously the Liebestod) should have singing.
As for authenticity to the original in Wagner, where orchestral excerpts are concerned ...
Richard Wagner was pleased to permit the orchestral performance of these selected highlights from the music without singers in the concert hall.
It may be different from attending a complete opera to get to the highlights, but, for many, these bleeding chunks remain a valid way to listen to the music of Wagner.
ATB from George
...
It may be different from attending a complete opera to get to the highlights
...
G.B. Shaw: "I write this pamphlet for the assistance of those who wish to be introduced to the work on equal terms with that inner circle of adepts...The reason is that its dramatic moments lie quite outside the consciousness of people whose joys and sorrows are all domestic and personal, and whose religions and political ideas are purely conventional and superstitious. To them it is a struggle between half a dozen fairytale personages for a ring, involving hours of scolding and cheating, and one long scene in a dark gruesome mine, with gloomy, ugly music, and not a glimpse of a handsome young man or pretty woman. Only those of wider consciousness can follow it breathlessly, seeing in it the whole tragedy of human history and the whole horror of the dilemmas from which the world is shrinking today."
...
It may be different from attending a complete opera to get to the highlights
...
G.B. Shaw: "I write this pamphlet for the assistance of those who wish to be introduced to the work on equal terms with that inner circle of adepts...The reason is that its dramatic moments lie quite outside the consciousness of people whose joys and sorrows are all domestic and personal, and whose religions and political ideas are purely conventional and superstitious. To them it is a struggle between half a dozen fairytale personages for a ring, involving hours of scolding and cheating, and one long scene in a dark gruesome mine, with gloomy, ugly music, and not a glimpse of a handsome young man or pretty woman. Only those of wider consciousness can follow it breathlessly, seeing in it the whole tragedy of human history and the whole horror of the dilemmas from which the world is shrinking today."
George Bernard Shaw was a of course one of the inner circle of adepts of Wagnerianism!
We need to read his words on the music of Richard Wagner with this in mind. You might even concede that he would say that wouldn't he! It might even appear to non-adepts as a sort of one-upmanship ...
People of musical greatness had differing views on the importance of the music as it pertains to the individual, rather than perhaps its place in musical history and Western artistic culture in general perhaps, where the significance is not open to question as Wagner's music influences music in his aftermath, just as JS Bach's music dies even from more than a century earlier. Perhaps these two were the most significantly influential figures of the last four centuries of Western Art Music.
Even today it hard to avoid the Wagnerian influence [conscious or otherwise] on film music for example.
Such people as Rossini were among a list that is not short of those who were not Wgnerites in the sense that GB Shaw was.
ATB from George
Originally posted by George J;
Richard Wagner was pleased to permit the orchestral performance of these selected highlights from the music without singers in the concert hall.
Of course there may be people who are unaware of how the music was conceived.
Your point about Wagner being prepared to make artistic compromises for financial reasons may be seen as the beginning of the commoditisation of music.
This development is not something many really great musicians would see as a good thing. Karajan saw music as being a commodity and so may be seen as a controversial figure for that very reason ...
Wagner begins the slide and the gramophone industry seals it!
ATB from George
Your point about Wagner being prepared to make artistic compromises for financial reasons may be seen as the beginning of the commoditisation of music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tgn511ceNQ
I deleted the whole post, because I ventured some views that may not be universally shared by Wagnerians!
Anyway Flagstaff is rather good here!
She brings a tenderness that is rare when such power is on tap!
ATB from George
I have not heard this, but it is advertised as "orchestral music from Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle and Tristan und Isolde'' but please be aware that a lot of the music (Ride of the Valkyries, Forest Murmers & obviously the Liebestod) should have singing.
If that is what you call it. Seems like Opera without the "singing" is the way forward.
Always sounded like scat singing to me never could make out the words, even when they are supposedly sung in English.
...
It may be different from attending a complete opera to get to the highlights
...
G.B. Shaw: "I write this pamphlet for the assistance of those who wish to be introduced to the work on equal terms with that inner circle of adepts...The reason is that its dramatic moments lie quite outside the consciousness of people whose joys and sorrows are all domestic and personal, and whose religions and political ideas are purely conventional and superstitious. To them it is a struggle between half a dozen fairytale personages for a ring, involving hours of scolding and cheating, and one long scene in a dark gruesome mine, with gloomy, ugly music, and not a glimpse of a handsome young man or pretty woman. Only those of wider consciousness can follow it breathlessly, seeing in it the whole tragedy of human history and the whole horror of the dilemmas from which the world is shrinking today."
Good grief! What utter drivel. But congratulations to Shaw for getting paid for producing such hackage. Nice work if you can get it. As for the particulars of the free music on offer, who cares? If I like it I will investigate further and I will find out more things. Given that I'm not personally keen on opera and choirs, the instrumental offerings will probably do me just fine. If someone thinks that's not proper or somehow philistine, it's their problem, not ours.
If that is what you call it. Seems like Opera without the "singing" is the way forward.
Always sounded like scat singing to me never could make out the words, even when they are supposedly sung in English.
Years ago, I didn't like (appreciate) opera. On record it just sounded like so much screeching and droning spoiling what otherwise might be good music. However given that I really liked the orchestral suites from Carmen, and have always loved live theatre and live music, one day I was mature enough to think it worth having a go at live opera, and went to see a performance of Carmen. Sadly it did nothing for me, just acting something that was like mime while singing words I couldn't understand - I wasn't turned off, rather didn't see the point - it was mildly enjoyable overall, but I felt I'd rather just have the orchestra.
Linking here to the theme of this, the music (e.g. through a free sample) may make someone wish to try the opera from whence it came, so now to the next bit:
Some years after Carmen, I thought I'd give opera one more chance. So, I want to see, or rather as it turned out I went to experience, a performance of Turandot ...with surtitles. So, I could listen to the music,watch the performance, and the surtitles allowed me to understand what was being sung, whence the singers' voices became a in integral, crucial and beautiful part of it all, emotions piled high like nothing I'd ever experienced, bringing tears rolling down my face (never happened at any performance of anything before): One of the most stunning experiences of my life, and I was caught, hook line and sinker.
I've been to quite a few performances since, and with tragic opera from Puccinni and Verdi in particular much the same effect every time - the combination of beautiful music, live theatre, and the emotional wrench of the human voice singing poignant lyrics are powerful indeed. I've twice tried operas in English, one a comic one I didn't know, Barber of Seville, and the other an English version of Madame Butterfly that I'd previously enjoyed in Italian with English surtitles, and both fell flat, because as they were in English surtitles weren't provided, but with the style of singing I spent my whole time straining to make out the words.and lost the feel. So, to BigH47 and anyone who feels similarly, if you want to try opera I suggest seeking a live performance in original language but with surtitles in your own language (even if the same language). If you still don't get it, you never will - but if you do, you may find the experience amazing. And I'd suggest a tragic opera for one to have best chance of grabbing you.
As for recorded opera, I struggle with ones I haven't yet seen live, even following the libretto (lyrics) while its playing, but do enjoy those that have been 'unlocked' by having seen.
Thanks to Geejay for the tip-off about this free download - always nice to hear different versions of things especially if they're free, and samplers like this are a good way of deciding whether to explore other music from the same composer/conductor/orchestra depending on what may already be known.
...
It may be different from attending a complete opera to get to the highlights
...
G.B. Shaw: "I write this pamphlet for the assistance of those who wish to be introduced to the work on equal terms with that inner circle of adepts...The reason is that its dramatic moments lie quite outside the consciousness of people whose joys and sorrows are all domestic and personal, and whose religions and political ideas are purely conventional and superstitious. To them it is a struggle between half a dozen fairytale personages for a ring, involving hours of scolding and cheating, and one long scene in a dark gruesome mine, with gloomy, ugly music, and not a glimpse of a handsome young man or pretty woman. Only those of wider consciousness can follow it breathlessly, seeing in it the whole tragedy of human history and the whole horror of the dilemmas from which the world is shrinking today."
Good grief! What utter drivel. But congratulations to Shaw for getting paid for producing such hackage. Nice work if you can get it. As for the particulars of the free music on offer, who cares? If I like it I will investigate further and I will find out more things. Given that I'm not personally keen on opera and choirs, the instrumental offerings will probably do me just fine. If someone thinks that's not proper or somehow philistine, it's their problem, not ours.
Beyond the pretentiousness, Shaw's treatise was meant for people already enjoying Wagner, but who couldn't understand the goings on. I posted it in response to a comment of George, which reminded me of Rossini's famous quote on Wagner: "Wagner has good moments, but awful quarters of an hour!"
EJ