Der Ring des Nibelungen Live recording in stereo 1998 - 01 Conductor: Gustav Kuhn Orchestra e Coro del Teatro di San Carlo, Napoli Das Rheingold July 18 & 19, September 18-20, 1998 Wotan Albert Dohmen Donner Witold Zoladkiewicz Froh Enrico Facini Loge Arnold Bezuyen Alberich Andrea Martin Mime Krzysztof Kur Fasolt Xiaoliang Li Fafner Thomas Hay Fricka Nadja Michael Freia Michaela Sburlati Erda Julia Oesch Woglinde Hiroko Kouda Wellgunde Junko Saito Floßhilde Taeka Hino Walküre 2001 Siegmund Andrew Brunsdon Sieglinde Gertrud Ottenthal Wotan Duccio dal Monte Brünnhilde Elena Comotti Hunding Thomas Hay Fricka Julia Oesch Gerhilde Junko Saito Ortlinde Maria Gessler Waltraute Monika Waeckerle Schwertleite Barbara Kandler Helmwige Susanne Geb Siegrune Anahita Ahsef Grimgerde Maria Cecilia Toledo Roßweiße Heidi Jütten Siegfried July, 1999 Siegfried Alan Woodrow Mime Thomas Harper Brünnhilde Elisabeth-Maria Wachutka Wanderer Juha Uusitalo Alberich Andrea Martin Fafner Xiaoliang Li Erda Julia Oesch Waldvogel Hiroko Kouda Götterdämmerung July, 2000 Brünnhilde Eva Silberbauer Siegfried Alan Woodrow Hagen Duccio dal Monte Alberich Andrea Martin Gunther Herbert Adami Gutrune Gertrud Ottenthal Waltraute Ewa Wolak Woglinde Hiroko Kouda Wellgunde Junko Saito Floßhilde Taeka Hino 1. Norne Julia Oesch 2. Norne Sabina Willeit 3. Norne Eva Maria Tersson

Arte Nova, 7 4321 87075 2 13 CDs DDD Back Find any errors? Review by Joeri Deleroux This Ring cycle received positive reviews in Germany. My opinion is that Kuhn focuses on the music itself. The orchestra is very good, especially in Rheingold and Siegfried. The playing is at some times very fast (the forging scene in 'Siegfried' and the 'Trauermarsch' in 'Götterdämmerung' for example) but keeps the greatness and magic associated with Wagner's universe. Some singers are excellent. Loge sung by Arnold Bezuyen is one of the finest on record. Thomas Harper is also great as Mime in Siegfried. The Siegfried recording is fascinating. The relationship between Siegfried and Mime is beautifully portrayed by Harper and Woodrow, great singing and acting. The Wotan interpretations are not always exeptional. Albert Dohmen makes a great impression while Juha Uusitalo has not the deep voice of George London in Solti's 'Rheingold' or Thomas Stewart in Karajan's ring. He brings a different kind of Wotan than what we usually expect. The female roles are nicely played too. Nadja Michael is a great Fricka and Eva Silberbauer shines as Brünnhilde in 'Götterdämmerung.' Kuhn is not really the perfectionist that Solti was when he recorded his Ring in studio, this can be noticed during the Niebelheim scene in 'Das Rheingold'. No screaming dwarves are heard when Alberich uses the tarnhelm, neither when he is imprissoned by the Gods and calls for the gold. Nevertheless this is a real bargain. If you like a nice actual live interpretation of Wagner's masterpiece, then this is it.