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Amazon.co.uk
With the release of this disc, Chandos completes its digital remastering of the complete English National Opera Ring cycle recorded live in the late 1970s--and a fantastic set it is too. As in the other recordings (The Rhinegold, The Valkyrie and Siegfried) Goodall shows himself to be a master Wagnerian of the first order with a sure grasp of the massive score, from its largest structures to its smallest details. His obvious passion for the music clearly inspires the ENO Orchestra to give of its best--the playing is extraordinarily powerful, and perfectly attuned to the drama of each scene (Siegfried's Funeral Procession is simply spine-tingling). Rita Hunter has the necessary iron lungs to make Brunnhilde's lines soar over the orchestra, but characterises her with subtlety too; even when she asks for the death of Siegfried (Alberto Remedios, bright and powerful) her voice is warm with love for him. Aage Haugland doesn't have a beautiful voice, but in many ways this helps make him an ideal Hagen, full of spite and cunning. The translation is a masterpiece in its own right, and the booklet (including libretto) is crammed with information. This is a must-have. --Warwick Thompson
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I honestly think that this may be the best performance of this opera on record. Purists will object at once that it rules itself out of court by being in English. While I can understand that this is a king-sized objection for German-speakers, I do not think it should deter English-speakers, or those who are, perhaps, equally comfortable in both languages. The point is that, while Wagner's music is sublime, his libretti are pretty dire. It is not hard for a translation to be an actual improvement on the original. For instance, Wagner was almost comically addicted to alliteration. In translation, preserving his absurdly laboured alliterations is (mercifully) impossible. That is not to say that this English text is ideal; it does occasionally lapse into opera-speak, that strange language in which the word "now" appears every time the librettist needs to fill a metre. The positive points about this performance, however, are numerous and overwhelming. Paramount is Goodall's conducting. This may be the slowest performance of the opera recorded, but the tempo never seems laboured. The flow of the music is sustained throughout. As remarkable as Goodall's conducting is the singing of the late Rita Hunter, which stands comparison with that of anyone in the role of Bruennhilde, in any language (yes, including Flagstad, Varnay and Nilsson). Alberto Remedios is among the best of post-war Siegfrieds, easily outclassing Wolfgang Windgassen, who virtually monopolised the role in German and Austrian recordings for two decades. Aage Haugland was clearly not singing in his first language, but his intonation and diction are fine. The cast has no weak link.... Read more ›
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This opera for the musicians (particularly the conductor and orchestra) is an epic. It is intense and full of coming together of the leitmotifs started off all the way back in Rhinegold and developed in the Operas that followed in this cycle. The notes in the booklet are extensive and informative, and the inclusion of the English sung (translation from German) libretto is excellent and crucial. Because despite the fact that it is sung in English, and the beautiful singing and excellent diction from the majority of the cast (which I have already explained in the previous reviews of Rhinegold, Valkyrie and Siegfried in this same Chandos series) you do need the help of the written words in some sections. I will explain in more detail... because in terms of the musical and melodic performance and overall drama, this box set doesn't disappoint and coupled with the fact that most of the sung roles can be followed in English adds a certain advantage. The continuing reservation for me (and becoming slightly annoying by the time I got to this last Opera of the cycle) as in Valkyrie and Siegfried box sets, is Alberto Remedios. His diction does not improve and in fact gets more muddled by the time you reach Twilight/Gotterdammerung. He is very difficult to follow in terms of what he is "saying". But there was one more issue for me which dropped a review "star" from this one (I gave all the others 4 stars each), and it's Hagen's part. It's so important, central and crucial to the closing of this saga that it requires a singer of might and clarity. Unfortunately he does not come off well in this set. It might be the recording quality (it was live and recorded some time ago, after all) or purely the diction and the fact that it is not the usual German libretto.... Read more ›
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Having lived with a Wagner fanatic for many years I at first endured the Ring but after a few listenings came to appreciate what Wagner was about. I've always liked Verdi & Puccini but Wagner is on a different plane altogether. The four CD sets that make up the Goodall ring are in my opinion stunning. Rita Hunter and the rest of the cast were at the top of their game and Reginald Goodall's conducting is amazing. Unlike Solti (which would have to be my other recommendation) who drives the operas on at a quite a lick, Goodall's tempo throughout finds that little something extra within the score.
By John HOLLAS
Format:MP3 Download|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have shied away from opera in english (when the original language is not) but was tempted by this being conducted by Reginald Goodall and starring, among others, Rita Hunter and Alberto Remedios, all of them from a famous ENO production. In fact, since I'm used to ignoring the words in most opera productions, I found it easy to ignore them here too. One advantage is that a title is given, in english, for each "song" which helps to give some idea of what's going on. Higly recommended.
By tubamirum
Format:MP3 Download|Amazon Verified Purchase
Forget the discussion about language - performances as wonderful as these transcend language. Goodall was perhaps the most unappreciated of all the British conductors of his generation but he was a master of the great romantic repertoire, both in the concert hall and in the opera house.
For anyone who feels the ENO orchestra was perhaps stretched by these recordings, I'd just point out that in comparison to say, the Bohm recording from Bayreuth available on Philips, they do indeed sound like a Rolls-Royce ensemble.
Rita Hunter's performance as Brunnhilde can stand comparison with anyones. Full stop.
I've loved these performances, not just this but the others in the cycle too, since I was lucky enough to experience the production whilst it was on tour back in the late 70's and can heartily recommend them to anyone with an interest in these works. One might imagine the only drawback to downloading these in this format might be the lack of documentation but hey, try searching for the booklets online - it took me all of two minutes to find them and download them.
For anyone who feels the ENO orchestra was perhaps stretched by these recordings, I'd just point out that in comparison to say, the Bohm recording from Bayreuth available on Philips, they do indeed sound like a Rolls-Royce ensemble.
Rita Hunter's performance as Brunnhilde can stand comparison with anyones. Full stop.
I've loved these performances, not just this but the others in the cycle too, since I was lucky enough to experience the production whilst it was on tour back in the late 70's and can heartily recommend them to anyone with an interest in these works. One might imagine the only drawback to downloading these in this format might be the lack of documentation but hey, try searching for the booklets online - it took me all of two minutes to find them and download them.
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