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Review by Charles E. Muntz
Karl Böhm continues his Ring cycle with a fine Siegfried. Wolfgang
Windgassen, over fifty at the time of this recording, gives a committed,
well-sung performance in the title role. However, he does not sound as
vivid or as fresh as he did for Solti five years earlier. Still, he is
very lyrical and brings far more musicality and intelligence to the role
than his successors, never resorting to barking.
Birgit Nilsson on the other hand gains slightly from the adrenaline of
the live performance. This unfortunately tends to emphasize Windgassen's
weaknesses even more in the final act. But Nilsson's performance
demonstrates the great soprano at the height of the powers, better by a
slight margin than her performance for Solti. She is the main reason for
acquiring this recording.
Theo Adam, whose voice is really too small and unimposing for the role,
takes the Wanderer. However, he is generally not as abrasive and wobbly
as he was in the previous two operas and is certainly an intelligent
singer who gives a well thought out reading of the role, although it will
certainly not efface memories of Hotter or Schorr.
The quality of the lesser roles tends to vary. Wohlfahrt is a fine Mime,
although he lacks the maniacal intensity that Gerhard Stolze brought to
the part for Solti and Karajan (which some listeners are put off by anyhow).
For his brother Neidlinger is the most evil Alberich on record, brimming
with hatred, as good as he is for Solti and Krauss. Böhme is a black,
successful Fafner. But Köth as the Woodbird, spurred on by Böhm's tempos
perhaps, rushes through the part without any real meaning coming through.
And Soukupova's Erda also consistently lacks character, which means an
important scene in the entire cycle does not come of nearly as successfully
as it could.
As with the rest of the cycle, Böhm's conducting is characterized by it's
fast tempos, which keep a high level of excitement going, at the expense
of most of the lyrical elements, and frequently making the conducting seem
a bit superficial. Solti or Furtwängler brings greater depth and variety
to this music. The Bayreuth Orchestra plays well, although the brass is
weak. Sound is greatly improved over the earlier Krauss recording, but
still falls well short of the Solti recording from a few years earlier.
It is generally two-dimensional, and the special effects could have been
better done. In short it is a good live recording, but Solti consistently
displays a better understanding of the music and has better sound,
orchestra and cast.
This review is from the now closed Wagner on the Web and it is published
without the author's consent. I haven't been able to get in touch with him.
If the author reads this, please contact me as soon as possible. If you
don't want it here, I'll take it of the site immediately. |
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