Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen -- Metropolitan/Levine [DVD] [2002] [NTSC]

There are rings cylces with more originality and better stage craft. But this traditional staging is ideal for those who have never seen a ring before. Before you can start appreciating newer and more modern ring cycles you should see the Ring in its intended setting. Only the Met have the money and the technology to pull off a ring with out compromises. Visually this Ring is amazing!

The other important advantage of this DVD set is that the sound is much better then its rivals. When playing Siegfried funeral march through my DVD and outboard DAC I thought the sound was better then any CD version of it. A generally excellent cast especially Siegfried Jerusalem and James Morris. My only disappointment is Jessye Norman who is totally miscast as the down trodden wife. I respect her artistic commitment but it is too much for an audience to imagine her as Sieglinde. I also really admire Levine very thoughtful and introspective interpretation of the score.

I find the Barenboim version of the Ring more gripping both visually and musically but the sound is poorer and the modern designs will not be to everyone taste.

This is my first choice of any Ring Cycle currentkt

It is not easy to know where to start, but Das Rheingold gets off well with a fantastic set for the the gorgeous voices of the Rhinemaidens, and I think Alberichs costume is excellent.
The set for the gods is no less impressive and the costumes are appropriate for my traditional tastes, particularly Jerusalems Logi.
Neibelheim keeps up the standards, and notable is Zednik as his voice is well suited to Mime.
In Die Valkure the interior of Hundings house is well presented. Lakes and Norman are in fine voice as the twins and Kurt Moll has a fine lyric voice. Lakes voice is distressed and plaintive, just what the part calls for. The drama between the two men is brilliantly portayed. Behrens voice is fine but tends to get lost in the orchestra in her lower register. In the later operas this does not seem a problem. In act 3 I have rarely seen or heard a finer set of Valkure. The fire round Brunnhildes rock is pretty impressive at the end.
In Siegfried with Jerusalem and Zednik it is immediately clear that a treat is in store, with the sly Mime a perfect foil for th swaggering Siegfried. Once again the set is highly appropriate, the forging of the sword looked very realistic.
Although only a cameo role Dawn Upshaws offstage woodbird is a delight on the ear.
In act three Svenden has a rich contralto, with an interesting mysterious lighting effect.
Gotterdammerung opens with a fine trio of Norns, looking the part too. Since the relationship of Brunnhilde and Seigfried is excellent, as it was in Siegfried even though I did not mention it earlier. Jumping forward to the hall of the Gibichungs Matti Salminen is well ahesd in voice and acting of any other version that I own or have seen. The chorus welcoming Gunther is also a highlight.
When Siegfried encounters the Rhinemaidens the girls voices blend beautifully, the sum being greater than the individual parts, and they are pretty good.
Skipping to the end the final moments of the Rhinemaidens underwater followed by the burning of Valhalla make a tremendous climax.
I have six versions of The Ring, and only the Pierre Boulez version with Gwyneth Jones comes up to this standard.

This DVD boxed set is a delight to own. 7 discs in 4 cases, each with a booklet detailing performance and production cast, chapter details, and a synopsis of each scene. Also included is an extra booklet giving an overview of Richard Wagner and this awesome cycle of 4 operas.

The discs themselves provide subtitles in a variety of languages, sound in PCM stereo, 5.1 dolby and 5.1 Dts, photo galleries of the production, and details of other operas available in the Deutsche Grammophon series. It would have been helpful to have details of the lietmotifs - the musical phrases linked to persons, events, emotions etc - that run like threads throughout the work. A proper understanding - and enjoyment - of this music is impossible without some awareness of these building blocks, so some homework is advisable.

Sonically the discs are breathtaking. The Dts soundtrack weaves a transparent magic around the speakers, only don't expect too much from the rear channels - this isn't "Star Wars".

The eyes are a little less well served, as the NTSC encoded picture loses some detail at 525 lines (not PAL 625). Nor are we treated to widescreen. But with visual effects as gorgeous as the "rainbow bridge to Valhalla", in the closing moments of Das Rheingold, such technical shortcomings are soon forgotton.

An assessment of the performances, either solo or orchestral, must be largely subjective but the word "definitive" comes to mind. It's unfortunate that the standard of the subtitles doesn't quite match up - like me, you may after a while find yourself automatically paraphrasing the rather clumsy translation.

But any blemishes pale into insignificance against the music. This is to die for. Why not take a long weekend and enjoy the cycle as Wagner intended. At an average of nearly four hours of music on each of 3 days and a preliminary evening, this is an experience for the heart and mind that will be remembered (and repeated many times) for a lifetime.