Der Ring des Nibelungen Studio recording in stereo from Festspielhaus Bayreuth 1991 - 92 Conductor: Daniel Barenboim Chor und Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele Das Rheingold 1991 Wotan John Tomlinson Donner Bodo Brinkmann Froh Kurt Schreibmayer Loge Graham Clark Alberich Günter von Kannen Mime Helmut Pampuch Fasolt Matthias Hölle Fafner Philip Kang Fricka Linda Finnie Freia Eva Johansson Erda Birgitta Svendén Woglinde Hilde Leidland Wellgunde Annette Küttenbaum Floßhilde Jane Turner Walküre 1992 Siegmund Poul Elming Sieglinde Nadine Secunde Wotan John Tomlinson Brünnhilde Anne Evans Hunding Matthias Hölle Fricka Linda Finnie Gerhilde Eva Johansson Ortlinde Ruth Floeren Waltraute Shirley Close Schwertleite Hitomi Katagiri Helmwige Eva-Maria Bundschuh Siegrune Linda Finnie Grimgerde Birgitta Svendén Roßweiße Hebe Dijkstra Siegfried 1992 Siegfried Siegfried Jerusalem Mime Graham Clark Brünnhilde Anne Evans Wanderer John Tomlinson Alberich Günter von Kannen Fafner Philip Kang Erda Birgitta Svendén Waldvogel Hilde Leidland Götterdämmerung 1991 Brünnhilde Anne Evans Siegfried Siegfried Jerusalem Hagen Philip Kang Alberich Günter von Kannen Gunther Bodo Brinkmann Gutrune Eva-Maria Bundschuh Waltraute Waltraud Meier Woglinde Hilde Leidland Wellgunde Annette Küttenbaum Floßhilde Jane Turner 1. Norne Birgitta Svendén 2. Norne Linda Finnie 3. Norne Uta Priew

Teldec, 0630-10010-2 14 CDs DDD Back Find any errors? Review by Constantijn Blondel This is the recording I bought when I started to like Wagner. I choose this, mainly because it was temporarily cheapened in price and my first impression of the recording and singers was okay. Now I am almost two and a half years later, and I still like this recording. Barenboim's interpretation is unconventional, but brings out a lot in the score. The CD's (and of course definitely the videos) give the impression of a sort of futuristic epic (mind you, NOT a SF interpretation) which I myself quite like. The cast includes some convincing singers. John Tomlinson is a great Wotan, with a powerful voice who is 'in command' all the time. Anne Evans is a Brünnhilde with a sort of angelic voice, crystal-clear and ideal for the role (if you forget Birgit Nilsson that is). Siegfried Jerusalem is in my opinion THE Siefried of this decade. He has all the bravoura his role requires and his acting on the videos is great. He displays good stamina, especially in the 'climbing' stage design in Gotterdammerung Act III. Loge and Mime are sung by Graham Clark. Wheras his Loge is rather sarcastic, his Mime makes you really hate the little dwarf...he acts both parts out magnificently. Of the other singers I must mention Philip Kang's Hagen. He has definitely a black voice and he is positively terrifying. There is no meager excuse for his character in the interpretation; he is 'the bad guy' and he doesn't act as if he's in fact rather good for his mother. Further good singers are: Günther von Kannen's Alberich, Linda Finnie's screeching Fricka and Bodo Brinkmann's Gunther. If you have only the money for one Ring I would still recommend the Böhm Ring, but if you have the money and want a second Ring I'd advise you to listen to this Barenboim cycle and let your ears decide.