Wagner - Der Ring Des Nibelungen

This early digital recording is to my mind the last great Ring recording of the modern era and the best studio version ever. It seems neglected by many. Is this because Janowski isn't as well known outside Germany and Poland or because it was recorded on a minor label and is here sold at a budget price? Maybe some believe it must be an inferior ring because of the lack of marketing, in which case they are missing out on a great recording. It was released in the early 80s to good but not outstanding reviews, (fashions in Wagner productions come and go I suppose). However I feel that the passage of time has been very kind to this one and it needs fresh appraisal. For the singers this is their finest hour; capturing voices at their peak and no subsequent recording improves on this version. I find that this is a studio version that almost captures a live atmosphere without the downfalls of a live recording, perhaps because it was recorded in fairly short periods (RG - 4 days; DW - 7 days; SG - 2 months; GD - 3 months), or the takes were longer? It also helps that the cast is very consistent throughout the Cycle. Now I'm aware that it's a minefield out there and some very strongly held opinions are waiting to pounce. And we all know that such an enormous enterprise cannot be totally consistent. Reviews will go into detail about individual voices or orchestral sound, etc. If that is important to the reader then research extensively because the views often contradict and can be quite personal, just as this review is. Your investment needs to be made carefully, although 2 or 3 out of the versions I've selected will definitely satisfy most listeners.My most listened to version is the Böhm Bayreuth recording, followed by Solti, Furtwangler (La Scala), Krauss and Goodall, with excerpts from Levine and Boulez and smatterings of some other older, live recordings. I like to listen to the older recordings but the quality of recordings can definitely require some "filling in!" Not that I'm an audiophile; I just like clear, natural sound. If you can ignore this problem then it might be for you. OK, sound first :A pioneering digital recording. Microphone placement and balance is practically perfect e.g. Siegfried's funeral march will astonish you with its power and clarity. Sounds and voices emerge from silence in a spectacular fashion. Dynamic range is huge, which can be a bit anti-social and entails frequent volume adjustments, so not one for listening to on the move.Next, the orchestras and the interpretation of the music:Janowski - There is a modesty about his conducting and a clear, intellectual approach. The music moves along quicker than most conductors, but not at Böhm's speed. In fact, each scene seems to move along quicker than any other version because you're so into the drama, unlike some versions where I'm glancing at my watch or waiting for the next cue point on the CD. The balance between orchestra and voices is almost perfect; everything clearly heard and the most revealing of the score. He allows the drama to unfold naturally. It just feels right; the nice changes in pace, the emphases, space for the music, the love for the score. He's moved right away from the overly reverential and bombastic approach favoured by some well regarded older recordings - mentioning no names! Listening to this version I've gained the greatest understanding of the music yet - without being dazzled by a "look at my brilliance" interpretation. Accuracy of rhythm and attack are exemplary. Also worth noting is how well most singers and orchestra support each other and listen to each other. Recordings since have often been either too rapid, turgid, thin sounding or marred by very variable singers. The Dresden players are of course superb with spot on timing, tone, that "golden sound" plus great discipline; a match for the VPO. Remember too, it was Wagner's orchestra.The bit that most people want to know about is the singing and performing, as it should be. Trust your ears. Here's where opinions differ radically. I wonder whether much of this is to do with first encounters, or taking what some music critics say as gospel?So what about Janowski? This cast is excellent and rather than listening with a critical ear that constantly compares to other recordings, or is wooed by the performance of a particular singer, you can just enter into the character immediately, which is why it bears repeated listening. What about the leads? Yes, it would be nice if we could have the huge voice, glorious tone and emotional depth of Flagstad, or the amazing intensity and stamina of Nilson, but Altmeyer sings superbly considering those that sang before her and that can never be criticised. German speakers have criticised her `American' accent. Some say she is too lightweight, but is that because she really is or because the `Legends' of the past had bigger, mature voices and we think that is how she should sound? True, she doesn't quite make it in the notoriously demanding immolation, but I can forgive her for her valid interpretation. The latter-day Brunnhilde's are often unbearable to me; try listening to Behren's for hours on end, or Jones! However Altmeyer really could be the teenage Valkyrie that Wagner intended. She has depth. She has a lighter tone and youthfulness that makes you believe in what you are hearing and she produces the loveliest sound of any - apart from Flagstad. If Altmeyer could commit as well as Nilson I would be very happy, but like any Ring recording we must accept compromises. Even if you don't think she is well cast as Brunnhilde (I do), there's no denying that there is light and shadow in the portrayal of another flawed character in the poem.Kollo as Siegfried is the real highlight though; this is an intelligent and lyrical reading of the impetuous youth. He's probably at the limit for his voice, but he was always one of the most thoughtful singers and that's a great bonus here. Again - in comparison - the great interpreter Windgassen could also sound dry and old - to me - for Böhm and Solti. Theo Adam always gets knocked and every review always starts with some negative qualifications, but he had a long career singing the part of Wotan and was chosen for good reason; he understood the role and was the best at the time, and the best after Hotter (personally I prefer Adam's Wotan because I think he is more in character). His declamation is superb. Sometimes he sounds better than in the live recording from 15 years earlier. Anyway, he always manages to move me and as the Wanderer for Janowski he seems stronger and steadier of voice. Alberich is nearly always well sung and Nimsgern is well cast with his distinctive, dark and harsh tone; the best modern Alberich after Niedlinger to me and I think he presents him as a more complex character than others manage. The twins are beautifully sung by Jerusalem and Norman - who was then young enough not to overpower and enunciates superbly, as do all the cast (a great Ring for following the Libretto). The Rhinemaidens are beautifully sung (a strong team again - as are the Valkyrie), sounding like playful girls rather than a hen party warming up. In contrast we have Moll as Hunding. He cannot put a foot wrong for me and if I was Siegmund, I'd get out of there quickly! The smaller parts are well supported; Matti Salminen even elicits sympathy for Fafner as a magnificent dragon and his Hagen is the most frightening ever recorded. But a special mention should go to the finest Mime we have from Peter Schreier. He really sings the part and gives you all the complex facets of the character better than anyone else. In Rhinegold he sings Loge with great character too (only Emile Belcourt for Goodall is better to me). Siegfried was always the part of the drama I would have the greatest difficulty in staying with, but Janowski and his singers keep it interesting and moving and allow you to really follow the action - largely due to the interplay between Kollo, Schreier, Salminen and the gods Wotan and Erda. One thing I notice each time I listen is how the more "fallen" characters aren't just intrinsically evil, but are corrupted by the Ring and the forces unleashed. Other versions fail to reveal this to varying degrees which cheapens and oversimplifies the drama. Really, everybody sings beautifully without force or strain.Many reviews stress the parts of the cycle and the individual singers, but ultimately it's about the drama as a whole. Wagner stressed the importance of the acting and the drama. Initially the score was almost secondary - although he changed a little after Siegfried as the motifs became increasingly complex and his philosophical outlook altered, but it's still about the overall effect rather than the parts. Also, we know there's no such thing as a perfect Ring and in today's climate we are a long way from getting close to past glories so we have to look at what we are left with and there are some great recordings to choose from. I used to turn to Böhm's live set for the sheer drama. Solti is great for winning over new listeners and dipping into, and the older recordings are a revelation to the experienced listener, but Janowski's is the one I turn to for enjoying the score and the drama, while marvelling at the playing and beautiful sound. Some have said it tends to pull back at moments of highest drama. No, that isn't true and is based on selecting `bleeding chunks' to compare with others. I find it's just true and free of bombast. The Solti ring suffers from an excess of pathos, weight and gimmickry and this has coloured much perception of Wagner's music. Some "effects" may seem a bit weak after Solti (e.g. Donner's hammer blow to summon the rainbow bridge is cataclysmic in Solti but should be scored for a triangle according to Wagner. Janowski is true to this), but it always sounds lovely and you will keep returning to it. Unfortunately the accompanying booklet doesn't include a libretto and you will need to use another recording's, or buy one or download a free one in the public domain. Don't be put off by the lack of gushing reviews and those that want you to part with lots of money for less "common"/esoteric/fashionable, but faulty recordings; trust your ears, this is a superb Ring at an amazing price.

My title sounds like faint praise, but it isn't! As anyone with more than a glancing acquaintance with the Ring will know, it's difficult to give it an adequate performance, never mind a great one - and all the existing records fall short of greatness in some way.This early 80s East German production is a very safe bet: in fact, I'd say it's probably the best introductory recording for someone unfamiliar with the work. Janowski may not have the strongest musical personality but he does tend to let the music speak for itself; and his cast would be very hard to beat today - most of them were the prime exponents of their roles at the time of recording. Theo Adam has never been one of my favourite Wotans, but the ear soon adjusts to his powerful, if somewhat gritty, tone. Rene Kollo is an excellent Siegfried and Jerusalem and Norman are splendid as his parents. Peter Schrier's Mime is the most beautifully sung performance of this role I have ever heard. The early digital recording is impressive. This is not the only Ring you need to hear, or the only Ring you should own if you're a Wagnerian, but it's certainly one to live with.

Anyone who finds the famous Solti set too heavy handed should try this. In fact even if you like that set you may be pleasantly surprised by Janowski's very different approach, which emphasises the beauty and subtlety of the music rather than sheer power or thrilling climaxes.Among the singers, Rene Kollo as Siegfried is the star of the show but they're all either very good or excellent.Janowski might not give you everything you want from Wagner, but he will certainly give you new insights into this inexhaustibly fascinating masterpiece.

弦も管もドレスデンらしい奥行きのある響きが保たれながら、機動性も確保されていると感じます。聞いているこちらもなんとなく流してしまいそうになりそうな箇所（なにせ長いですから）も聞き応えがあります。楽しく聞いていられます。

No, you'll never hear a perfect RING. There are just too many variables, options, and difficulties; plus it's an organic entity that takes over 15 hours to stage, so the law of averages automatically kicks in: when you've got more things that can go wrong, more WILL go wrong.And so it is with its multitudinous recordings. Among the live versions, the earlier ones (Furtwaengler, Krauss, Knappertsbusch) suffer from murky sound, while even those in decent stereo (Boehm, Boulez, Sawallisch, Barenboim) feature thuds, clunks, and assorted live-performance anomalies that grow less endearing with each listening. As for the studio recordings, they're variously undermined by continuity problems (Solti, Karajan), subpar singing (Swarowsky), or deficiencies in tension and energy (Levine, Haitink).Which brings us to this Marek Janowski set. One of the overlooked achievements of the waning LP era, it was the first all-digital RING, recorded in just 29 efficient months during the early 80s. Late in the same decade it was the first version to debut on CD, at the top of the 90s a mid-price edition emerged, and this dirt-cheap reissue now marks its first appearance in the 21st century. It's a bargain on anybody's terms, and after several return visits down through the years, I'm now ready to name it the cycle with the fewest things wrong and the most right.First off, it's registered in clean, ungussied digital stereo of exceptional radiance and lucidity - massed strings can be a tad opaque, hinting at its pioneer status, otherwise the color and fine detail are ravishing, plus the whole event has the definite feel of being recorded in long takes: it offers the commitment and intensity of a live performance minus the wrong notes and stage noises. Second, it showcases lithe, athletic playing from Dresden's underpublicized but authentically great orchestra - strings turn on a dime, woodwind staccati are needle sharp, brass are lean and subtly integrated. In contrast to their only continental peers in this repertory - the Vienna PO with its creamy sweetness and the Berlin PO with its iron power - the Dresdeners favor sheen, transparency, and fast reflexes, lightning as well as thunder. Yes, they can whip up a glowering storm in the SIEGFRIED Act III prelude, but you'll never hear a Rhine journey with more wit, sparkle, and agility.Janowski's propulsive conducting is invaluable for two main reasons. 1) Beyond projecting the RING's well-known tempests and tensions, he also puts over its comedy and irony - the sly mischief of the Rhinemaids, the gallows humor during the valkyrie confab, the sad silliness of the nibelung squawkfest in SIEGFRIED II iii. 2) He's exceptionally alert to Wagner's dramaturgy, to its NARRATIVE ebb, flow, and movement toward crisis. Janowski's pacing is ideal at the great turning points - Alberich stealing the gold, Erda's intervention when Wotan won't give up the ring (Solti is oblivious here), the mounting violence in Siegfried's meeting with the Wanderer (here Karajan is gingerly), the tension building under Siegfried's narrative in GOETTERDAEMMERUNG III ii as he gradually incriminates himself. This is strong-minded, purposeful conducting that I suspect even Wagner himself would have admired.The cast, too, is exemplary. For one thing, it's a true ensemble with the same talent staying on board to the finish: out of 12 recurring roles, 11 are single cast (sole exception: Mime, not fatally disruptive). Plus these singers, with unbeaten consistency, are both listenable and characterful. The set's original manufacturer, Ariola-Eurodisc, was a major player during the decade prior, recording both operatic rarities (Schubert, Orff) and standards (FIDELIO, CARMEN). Eurodisc had the budgets to sign up the biggest names, and here even bit parts can be stunningly cast - Kurt Moll as Hunding, Lucia Popp and Hanna Schwarz as Rhinemaidens, Cheryl Studer and Ruth Falcon as walkueren. A couple of the supporting players are routine - Stryczek's rough-and-ready Donner, Noecker's decently sung but undercharacterized Gunther - otherwise Siegmund Nimsgern is the optimum Alberich, a full-bodied character baritone with a genuine legato and a meaty high G, while Peter Schreier doubles Loge and the SIEGFRIED Mime with imagination, gusto, and (gasp) real singing.And so it goes: Jessye Norman and Siegfried Jerusalem are a Sieglinde and Siegmund competitive with anybody's, Yvonne Minton a Fricka of icy loveliness, Ortrun Wenkel intense and specific as Erda and Waltraute, Norma Sharp cool and pretty as both Gutrune and the woodbird, while a young Matti Salminen turns in the most baleful Hagen since Frick - and a Fafner so innately cavernous, his dragon scarcely needs any special miking. As for the three leads, our Wotan is Theo Adam, who probably clocked more stage hours in the role than anybody in Wagner history. By the time of the recording he'd logged 22 RING seasons, but his high bass still has plenty to offer - interpretive savvy, trusty top notes, dead-center intonation. WALKUERE III iii finds the old pro in below-form voice, struggling for focus and steadiness; elsewhere, surprisingly, his sound is sometimes firmer than fifteen years earlier under Boehm (compare the "Abendlich strahlt" in RHEINGOLD). Overall he's a rugged, patriarchal Wotan and he catches the curve of the character superbly, politician, rageaholic, and shaman.As his daughter Bruennhilde, California soprano Jeannine Altmeyer has been shamefully undervalued down through the years. I heard her LA Isolde in the mid 80s, and trust me, this is a big, carrying voice. Stack her against her recent peers: she has a fuller, steadier instrument than Behrens, a lovelier sound than Marton, the upper extension that Dernesch hadn't, and Jones's caterwauling is beneath discussion. No, she hasn't the slash and bite of dominatrix Bruennhildes like Nilsson and Varnay; instead she offers page after page of fresh, supple, centered sound, you pick the note. She's the aural equivalent of the young, willowy Bruennhilde in Arthur Rackham's watercolors, and it's high time we noticed: Altmeyer is the valkyrie easiest on the ears.Lastly Rene Kollo's contributions are arguably his most valuable on disc. As John Culshaw once wrote, we must think of the younger Siegfried "as a youth instead of an adult," so dark-timbred tenors such as Melchior, Suthaus, and Windgassen can present big credibility problems. Kollo is near ideal: his silver sound is mainstream lyric tenor - even chest tones preserve a basic leanness and lucidity - but its fine-line definition means unexpected carrying power and maneuverability; in short, he's persuasively youthful yet he can cut through heavy orchestration. Some soft passages, though, catch him thinning the support out of the voice (e.g., "Es sangen die Voeglein" in SIEGFRIED I i), but it's still a splendid achievement, vividly phrased, both mercurial and meditative. And he's fine, too, as his elder self in GOETTERDAEMMERUNG, though not quite as indispensable.All of which, taken together, accounts for this RING's front-to-back superiority - digital stereo of documentary directness and transparency; podium leadership that articulates narrative structure while projecting not only its passion and poignance but (rare indeed) its comedy and irony; and a repertory casting policy that generates both good sound and plausible characterization. Yes, a couple of the bit players are substandard, but the leads are astonishingly persuasive - Adam's leonine Wotan, Altmeyer's mellifluous Bruennhilde, and several who are arguably Best in Stereo: Kollo's Siegfried, Nimsgern's Alberich, Norman's Sieglinde, Schreier's Mime, Salminen's Fafner and Hagen. In short, it's the All-Purpose RING - ideal for the first-time listener who really hopes the epic will make sense, excellent for the score-in-hand professional who wants a clear, dependable reference edition that actually does what his score says. For me it's the version that has stood up best under repeated listening; so treat it as your basic set, then supplement it, if you like, with choice alternatives - Karajan's WALKUERE, say, or Solti's GOETTERDAEMMERUNG, or Krauss's mono edition.RCA's bare-bones booklet offers plot summaries but no libretto. Not a problem. For under $20 Amazon can sell you WAGNER'S RING OF THE NIBELUNG by Stewart Spencer et al. (ISBN 0500281947), a reader-friendly modern translation complete with beneficial annotations, commentaries, and background material.

This Ring by Janowski has a lot of strong points that would make it essential for those who love Wagner's Ring. The most prominent feature of this recording, of course, is the fabulous playing of Wagner's score by the Dresden Staatskapelle. Someone familiar with Solti or Bohm would find that Janowski's musical phrasing is much lighter in weight than the usual meat and potatoes Wagner listeners are accustomed to. When I say lighter in weight, I don't mean that the orhcestra sounds leaner (like Levine's orchestra which sounds like diet Wagner), but that the orchestral phrasing of each musical component is highlighted and well-balanced. It is a very classical reading, with a Brahmsian quality to it, and the phrasing is unusually flexible for a German orchestra. I think this reading of the work brings out more of Wagner's polyphonic structures more so than any other conductor was able to do. For the orchestral reading alone would I recommend this Ring, but the cast is quite strong too. For example, you have Jessye Norman and Siegfried Jerusalem as the Walsung twins. While Jerusalem and Norman would not erase memories of Rysanek, King, Vickers, and Janowitz, they are a very credible pair at the prime of their careers. Theo Adam's Wotan was never a large-Hotter like sound, but what he makes up for lack of weight is an intelligent reading that most of today's Wotans could never touch. It is a very insightful reading, although he was much better for Bohm. Siegmund Nimsgern is an excellent Alberich, and Yvonne Minton makes a most beautifully vocalized and dramatized Fricka. The Norns, Rhinemaidens, Valkyries, and Gibichungs are all very well cast, with Matti Salminen coming to special mention for his amazing Hagen. Kurt Moll makes a most fabulous Hunding, and Peter Schreier's Loge and Mime are some of the best sung (and not yelped) character roles in the ring. Ortrun Wenkel's Erda and Waltraute are not to be missed.Of course, I must speak of the two main characters--Brunnhilde and Siegfried, who are so essential to making any Ring work. The Siegfried in this recording is Rene Kollo. He is the first jugendlich dramatische heldentenor ever to be cast in the role at his prime in such a recording, and while several Bayreuth and pirate Rings showcase great tenor voices such as Hans Hopf, Melchior, Windgassen, and Treptow as Siegfried, no one had the kind of voice Wagner had in mind for the role. Rene Kollo has it all--sensitive phrasing, great acting, and a voice that spans Siegfried's vocal requirements. I think he is one of the best Siegfrieds since Jess Thomas.Brunnhilde is taken by Jeannine Altmeyer, who was Sieglinde in Boulez's ring in the 1976 Patrice Chereau production in Bayreuth. Hers is a light voice, a bit lighter than Crespin's, but unfortunately she doesn't do as much wonders with the role the way Crespin does. It is a very young, girlish Brunnhilde that makes us believe that she is a willowy, gorgeous figure that Wagner had in mind when writing the Ring libretto. She isn't the most involved of singers though. It is very well vocalized, but lacks the beauty of expression given by singers such as Helga Dernesch, Gwyneth Jones, Regine Crespin, and Astrid Varnay. Still, her Brunnhilde is a wonderful addition to the discography (one could wish that she would work on her German a bit), and her interpretation gives us an image of a young, svelte woman.The sound in this recording is excellent, and I'd recommend it to anyone who would want to understand the polyphonic scores of Wagner's ring.

This review is actually being written by the husband. My wifes Amazon account was still signed in so I ordered under her name.Love the Janowski/Dresden recording! I've always been a fan of Solti and Vienna, but really wanted a modern digital recording. The singers were easy to hear and the balance with the Dresden orchestra was perfect.The timing of the delivery couldn't have been better on Valentines day either! My wife got the mail and found the package with her name on it. She's never been a big fan of Wagner, but she happily assumed that it was a Valentines Day gift since her name was on it. After almost 20 years of marriage, nothing really surprises her anymore, but she appreciated the thought and I have a great new recording of the ring cycle. It was a win/win!

Among the complete recordings of Wagner's Ring from the latter half of the 20th century, Janowski's recording with the Dresden Staatskapelle is curiously neglected and under-rated in comparison to Solti, Boulez, Levine, Haitink, etc, perhaps because Janowski himself was not as well-known as a conductor and because the Dresden Staatskapelle lacks the glamour of Bayreuth, Vienna, and the Met. In fact, Janowski's more than holds its own against many of these more celebrated recordings in many respects.The Dresden Staatskapelle delivers a very different orchestral sound than (for instance) the Met. This is particularly noticeable with the brass and winds, which tend to be softer and far less piercing and sharp than many other orchestras. While this may make scenes like Hagen summoning the vassals or Siegfried at the anvil less thrilling initially, the timbre works very well for the operas' quieter, more intimate scenes.Among the cast, Rene Kollo and Jeannine Altmeyer are serviceable if in my opinion unspectacular as Siegfried and Brunnhilde. Neither seem to have the vocal individuality to take some of the characters' best moments from good to great. In contrast and as a welcome counterweight, much of the rest of the cast is excellent: Matti Salminen was born for the parts of Fafner and Hagen, and Theo Adam's bass-baritone more than holds its own as Wotan. In "Die Walkure", the highlights are Siegfried Jerusalem as Siegmund and Jessye Norman as Siegliende. Jerusalem's Met Siegfried has always seemed uneven, as though his voice was about to give out in the more forte passages such as the forging scene, but his vibrato and natural lyricism makes him a perfect Siegmund - I find myself listening to "Wintersturme" repeatedly because of it. We're also treated to small roles by other great singers such as Lucia Popp and Hannah Schwarz.Last but not least, the price of this set is quite reasonable, in the same class or lower than many other Ring sets. Taken together, this is certainly a worthy addition to any Wagnerian's collection