The Ring Trilogy

Posted by: Tristram on 15 January 2001

Any suggestions for the best cd recording of this masterpiece? tw
Posted on: 16 January 2001 by Igor Zamberlan
That's what "Ring" trilogy reminds me.

If this is the case, a firm usual recommendation is Solti on Decca. It's been reissued, in a new remastering, a couple of years ago. It's also the only one of the main versions I don't have in my collection, but a copy on vinyl is making its way back from the US of A to my house.

Other recommendations are Bohm on Philips (live from Bayreuth, and you can feel that - soundwise, while it's not at the Solti level, it's very good), Krauss on various semi-pirate labels (the one I have is on an Italian label, it's live from Bayreuth in 1952, and sound, while mono, is not bad at all) and either of the Furtwaenglers (the Scala is better, IMO, musically, but the sound is only for the motivated, the RAI is better soundwise, but a little less electrical and involving; both are mono) There is also a studio Walkure conducted by Furtwaengler which is well worth a listen on EMI.

Karajan is at least interesting, but in my view it's a second or third version, the attention shifted from the voices to the orchestra.

Of the recent, digital ones, I have a preference for Haitink on EMI, but have listened only to a small excerpt of the (still ongoing?) Donhanhiy (spelling?).

If you were asking about something else, sorry for the bandwidth.

Igor

[This message was edited by Igor Zamberlan on TUESDAY 16 January 2001 at 09:24.]

Posted on: 16 January 2001 by Tristram
Yes, that is what I was enquiring about. Thanks for the input. tw