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Track Listings
| Disc: 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Prelude | |||
| 2. Weia! Wega! | |||
| 3. Garstig Glatter Glitsch'riger Glimmer | |||
| 4. Wallala! Wallala! Lalaleia! Lalaleia! | |||
| 5. Lugt, Schewestern! | |||
| 6. Der Welt Erbe | |||
| 7. Wotan, Gemahl, Erwache! | |||
| 8. Sanft Schlob Schlaf Dein Aug' | |||
| 9. Zu Mir, Freia! | |||
| 10. Endlich Loge! | |||
See all 15 tracks on this disc
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| Disc: 2 | |||
| 1. Auf, Loge, Hinab Mit Mir! | |||
| 2. Schau, Du Schelm! | |||
| 3. Nibelheim Hier | |||
| 4. Nehmt Euch In Acht! | |||
| 5. Vergeh', Frevelnder Gauch! | |||
| 6. Ohe! Ha Ha Ha! | |||
| 7. Da, Vetter, Sitze Du Fest! | |||
| 8. Gezahlt Hab'ich | |||
| 9. Bin Ich Nun Frei? | |||
| 10. Fasolt Und Fafner Nahen Von Fern | |||
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See all 17 tracks on this disc
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Product Description
2 CD set
WAGNER
Das Rheingold
Recorded Live at the 1955 Bayreuth Festival
Hans Hotter, Georgine von Milinkovic, Rudolf Lustig,
Gustav Neidlinger, Paul Kuen, Toni Blankenheim, Josef Traxel,
Hertha Wilfert, Maria von Ilosvay, Ludwig Weber, Josef Greindl,
Jutta Vulpius, Elisabeth Schärtel, Maria Graf
Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele
Joseph Keilberth
Recorded in STEREO
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful
"the entire Nibelheim scene is swathed in a strange hiss, allegedly from a piece of electronic off-stage equipment used to assist the creation of the anvils sounds and which, according to the notes to the set, was used in subsequent productions at Bayreuth. Well, I can't hear it in the 1956 Knappertsbusch set or, of course, the Bohm set from the 1960s, so this is rather odd"
The smoke machine noise in the Nibelheim scene is very much there, but it should not deter any Wagnerian from grabbing this superb set! I also own the 1956 Kna and sure, the noise is not heard but one must take into account the fact that Decca was using much more sensitive hgh fidelity equipment (and experimenting with microphone placement) than the usual radio checks of the time, which are the origin of the Kna Ring. Besides, slight changes from one year to the next are the norm during any production's run at Bayreuth. Of course, the Böhm recording is from several years later, was made at a different production, probably with different stage machinery and with several years of experience in live stereo recording behind. What matters most to me in this whole cycle is the opportunity to experience the likes of Hotter, Windgassen and Varnay in their respective primes in spectacular stereo sound. I find Keilberth's reading dynamic and sympathetic to singers (it was thought of as rather brisk at the time of the performances) and often more exciting than Solti's. The on stage noises only add to the excitement of a live performance as well as the occasional orchestral glitches -they always happen live and here there were no retakes nor supplementary material- which in my opinion do not detract at all from Keilberth's interpretation. In sum, not my only Ring (I have all the others mentioned) but one of my favorites and a great discovery! Kudos to Testament!!
The smoke machine noise in the Nibelheim scene is very much there, but it should not deter any Wagnerian from grabbing this superb set! I also own the 1956 Kna and sure, the noise is not heard but one must take into account the fact that Decca was using much more sensitive hgh fidelity equipment (and experimenting with microphone placement) than the usual radio checks of the time, which are the origin of the Kna Ring. Besides, slight changes from one year to the next are the norm during any production's run at Bayreuth. Of course, the Böhm recording is from several years later, was made at a different production, probably with different stage machinery and with several years of experience in live stereo recording behind. What matters most to me in this whole cycle is the opportunity to experience the likes of Hotter, Windgassen and Varnay in their respective primes in spectacular stereo sound. I find Keilberth's reading dynamic and sympathetic to singers (it was thought of as rather brisk at the time of the performances) and often more exciting than Solti's. The on stage noises only add to the excitement of a live performance as well as the occasional orchestral glitches -they always happen live and here there were no retakes nor supplementary material- which in my opinion do not detract at all from Keilberth's interpretation. In sum, not my only Ring (I have all the others mentioned) but one of my favorites and a great discovery! Kudos to Testament!!
14 of 24 people found the following review helpful
This recording gives weight to John Culshaw's decision to opt for a studio recording of the Ring, rather than have this Bayreuth set released first. It is such a patchwork of problems and opportunities that it finishes up being rather unsatisfactory. First of all, as a performance alone, it is very good: clearly in Rheingold, the character of Wotan is less critical than in Walkure or Siegfried but Hotter remains imperious, if just a little clumsy at times; the star of this particular show is Neidlinger's much-admired, and well known, Alberich. The remainder of the cast is strong enough, with Greindl and Weber as the best pair of giants available on any recording. But the problems revolve around the recording itself: there is a huge amount of stage noise, as there was in the Walkure; the entire Nibelheim scene is swathed in a strange hiss, allegedly from a piece of electronic off-stage equipment used to assist the creation of the anvils sounds and which, according to the notes to the set, was used in subsequent productions at Bayreuth. Well, I can't hear it in the 1956 Knappertsbusch set or, of course, the Bohm set from the 1960s, so this is rather odd. The orchestra are not in as fine form as they are in the superb Siefgfried from the same production. So, all in all, a mixed bag, worth buying for sure but not by any means the definitive Rheingold. In that, Solti still reigns supreme, or even Karajan, whose Rheingold was perhaps the most characterful of all his Ring recordings. If you want a live Bayreuth performance, then Bohm, of course, or Barenboim are both very fine and both superior to the Keilberth.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
14 reviews
23 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Another Great Ring on the Way!
16 Dec 2006
Amazon Verified Purchase
It is ironic that a work like The Ring, which is a dauting challenge to conductors, orchestras, soloists and choruses, has been blessed with several outstanding recorded versions. Among stereo versions, the Solti has rightly been favored for its superb cast, great playing from the Vienna Philharmonic, passionate conducting, and still-remarkable engineering, including sound effects. Of course, there have been caveats, including the view that Solti, while certainly bringing forth the raw passion of the score, sometimes lacked a certain coutnerbalacing subtlety, which made for a certain brashness and lack of the gravitas and mystery also in the music. Because of this, I have always had a slight preference for the live Bayreuth versions under Krauss and Kempe, with the Krauss perhaps havng a slight edge because of certain of the soloists. Both recordings are hihgly desierable, although being mono, they lack the clarity and sonic impact of the Solti. Well, that situation may come to an end with the release of the Stereo Keilberth/Bayreuth performance from 1955.
As is well known, Decca recorded this cycle, only ot have John Culshaw veto its issue because of his prejudice against recording live performances. If this "Rheingold" is any measure of the rest of the cycle, this will be a Ring with which to contend. To begin with, Keilberth, well-known in Germany but not appreciated elsewhere, sounds like another unsung hero if the podium. His conducting is in the Krauss/Kempe manner, energetic, fiery, yet fully appreciative of the mystery of the music. The very first scene in the Rhine begins darkly, gravely, and gradually builds to swirling figures that really sound like water flowing. The Rhinemaidens are saucy and exhuberant, absolutely exhilirating in the "Rheingold! Rheingold!" hymn to the gold. Neidlinger's Alberich is even more brilliant here than other Rings, both demonic and desperate. Hotter delievers his finest Wotan, even firmer of voice than in the hallowed Krauss of three years earlier. Kuen likewise is a more musical Mime than usual, and the rest of the cast leaves nothing to be desired; I am especially impressed with von Illosvay's dark, foreboding Erda. Throughout, Keilberth maintains an unusually firm yet flexible hand on the music, taut but never rushed. How he could remain overlooked as one of the conductorial greats is mystifying. And the sound surpasses any other recording, even the Solti, because of the unique clarity and balance only found at Bayreuth. The stereo effect is entirely natural, never exaggerated. What you hear is the orchestra at your lap, supporting and never overwhelming the singers on stage. This is a "Rheingold" for the ages; if the rest of the Ring (I am soon going to purchase "Die Walkuere") measures up to this, then this will be the essential Ring.
As is well known, Decca recorded this cycle, only ot have John Culshaw veto its issue because of his prejudice against recording live performances. If this "Rheingold" is any measure of the rest of the cycle, this will be a Ring with which to contend. To begin with, Keilberth, well-known in Germany but not appreciated elsewhere, sounds like another unsung hero if the podium. His conducting is in the Krauss/Kempe manner, energetic, fiery, yet fully appreciative of the mystery of the music. The very first scene in the Rhine begins darkly, gravely, and gradually builds to swirling figures that really sound like water flowing. The Rhinemaidens are saucy and exhuberant, absolutely exhilirating in the "Rheingold! Rheingold!" hymn to the gold. Neidlinger's Alberich is even more brilliant here than other Rings, both demonic and desperate. Hotter delievers his finest Wotan, even firmer of voice than in the hallowed Krauss of three years earlier. Kuen likewise is a more musical Mime than usual, and the rest of the cast leaves nothing to be desired; I am especially impressed with von Illosvay's dark, foreboding Erda. Throughout, Keilberth maintains an unusually firm yet flexible hand on the music, taut but never rushed. How he could remain overlooked as one of the conductorial greats is mystifying. And the sound surpasses any other recording, even the Solti, because of the unique clarity and balance only found at Bayreuth. The stereo effect is entirely natural, never exaggerated. What you hear is the orchestra at your lap, supporting and never overwhelming the singers on stage. This is a "Rheingold" for the ages; if the rest of the Ring (I am soon going to purchase "Die Walkuere") measures up to this, then this will be the essential Ring.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
About that "hissing noise"...
22 Feb 2007
Amazon Verified Purchase
It begins at about 1 hour 8 minutes in, and continues for about 25 minutes. It's undoubtedly annoying - like really bad tape hiss. But at *no* point does it (even slightly) obscure the voices of Hotter & Neidlinger etc. at their absolute peak, in (otherwise) excellent sound.
Anybody who dismisses this remarkable set simply because of that is just missing the forest for the trees. But if you're in doubt, all you have to do is listen to the audio samples that Amazon has so helpfully provided: those for Disc 2, tracks 2 through 6 show off the "hissing noise" at its worst.
For whatever it's worth, I think that those who are kicking up a fuss over said "hissing nose" are being more than a bit silly. And I can't help wondering whether they could deal, even for a moment, with the much more severe audio compromises required to appreciate the incomparable recorded interpretations of Frida Leider & Lauritz Melchior & Friedrich Schorr.
Anybody who dismisses this remarkable set simply because of that is just missing the forest for the trees. But if you're in doubt, all you have to do is listen to the audio samples that Amazon has so helpfully provided: those for Disc 2, tracks 2 through 6 show off the "hissing noise" at its worst.
For whatever it's worth, I think that those who are kicking up a fuss over said "hissing nose" are being more than a bit silly. And I can't help wondering whether they could deal, even for a moment, with the much more severe audio compromises required to appreciate the incomparable recorded interpretations of Frida Leider & Lauritz Melchior & Friedrich Schorr.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
A major disappointment
10 Feb 2008
I'm so glad that I didn't listen to "Das Rheingold" from this "Ring" until the very last, because I agree with Andre Filippe Vital. This is in many ways a disappointing recording and the weakest link of this "Ring."
It isn't so much tempos, though here - as nowhere else in the Ring - Keilberth chooses some very quirky ones. The waltz-like entrance for Fafner is one; the speed-up and then slow-down in the final scene for the Rhinemaidens is another. Also, it seems to me that in recording this performance, the Decca engineers were still experimenting, and their microphones were really too close to the action. The opening scene with its soft E-flat pedal point is too loud, which spoils the effect of the long crescendo; there's too much stage noise, lots of foot-stomping; and though the "Mixtur-titonium," or whatever the hell it is, doesn't really obscure the singers, its mere presence is not only unwelcome but truly annoying, mostly because it goes on like that for nearly a half-hour. Ugh. In the final scene the Rheinmaidens actually lose the beat; one more half-point off. This whole performance would definitely have to had been fixed in the studio if Decca-London were actually going to issue it.
In addition to all this, I subtract points for the truly ghastly singing of Rudolf Lustig as Loge. This is one plug-ugly, leathery tenor voice. He spoils this performance just as he spoils the Keilberth "Fliegende Hollander." He is only a small shade better than Rudolf Schock. The best Loges ever recorded were Rene Maison, bright-voiced and tongue-in-cheek jolly on the old 1937 Bodanzky performance, and Wolfgang Windgassen with Karl Bohm. (Set Svanholm sings well on the Solti set too, don't forget.) So that's three Loges who are far better than Lustig, and Loge is a VERY key role in "Rheingold."
The good: Neidlinger's solid, dark-toned if not particularly subtle Alberich; Paul Kuen's beautifully-sung Mime; Hans Hotter's penetrating and surprisingly well-sung Wotan; and the giants, Weber and Griendl. But those sterling performances aren't enough to make this a serious contender for "Das Rheingold" when you have the Solti and Bohm versions available. Since I personally prefer the "Bayreuth Sound" in Wagner operas, I suggest the Bohm "Rheingold" followed by Keilberth in the remaining three operas, which gives you one real benefit - Windgassen in three of the four. You go, Wolfgang!!! (Plus, Theo Adam was much better in the Bohm "Rheingold" than he was in "Walkure" or "Siegfried," and Anja Silja is the finest of all Freias.)
Save your money, skip this one, get the Bohm performance then journey on with Keilberth. You'll be glad you did.
It isn't so much tempos, though here - as nowhere else in the Ring - Keilberth chooses some very quirky ones. The waltz-like entrance for Fafner is one; the speed-up and then slow-down in the final scene for the Rhinemaidens is another. Also, it seems to me that in recording this performance, the Decca engineers were still experimenting, and their microphones were really too close to the action. The opening scene with its soft E-flat pedal point is too loud, which spoils the effect of the long crescendo; there's too much stage noise, lots of foot-stomping; and though the "Mixtur-titonium," or whatever the hell it is, doesn't really obscure the singers, its mere presence is not only unwelcome but truly annoying, mostly because it goes on like that for nearly a half-hour. Ugh. In the final scene the Rheinmaidens actually lose the beat; one more half-point off. This whole performance would definitely have to had been fixed in the studio if Decca-London were actually going to issue it.
In addition to all this, I subtract points for the truly ghastly singing of Rudolf Lustig as Loge. This is one plug-ugly, leathery tenor voice. He spoils this performance just as he spoils the Keilberth "Fliegende Hollander." He is only a small shade better than Rudolf Schock. The best Loges ever recorded were Rene Maison, bright-voiced and tongue-in-cheek jolly on the old 1937 Bodanzky performance, and Wolfgang Windgassen with Karl Bohm. (Set Svanholm sings well on the Solti set too, don't forget.) So that's three Loges who are far better than Lustig, and Loge is a VERY key role in "Rheingold."
The good: Neidlinger's solid, dark-toned if not particularly subtle Alberich; Paul Kuen's beautifully-sung Mime; Hans Hotter's penetrating and surprisingly well-sung Wotan; and the giants, Weber and Griendl. But those sterling performances aren't enough to make this a serious contender for "Das Rheingold" when you have the Solti and Bohm versions available. Since I personally prefer the "Bayreuth Sound" in Wagner operas, I suggest the Bohm "Rheingold" followed by Keilberth in the remaining three operas, which gives you one real benefit - Windgassen in three of the four. You go, Wolfgang!!! (Plus, Theo Adam was much better in the Bohm "Rheingold" than he was in "Walkure" or "Siegfried," and Anja Silja is the finest of all Freias.)
Save your money, skip this one, get the Bohm performance then journey on with Keilberth. You'll be glad you did.
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