| Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen / Levine, Metropolitan Opera (Complete Ring Cycle) | 
| Director: Brian Large
Actors: Hildegard Behrens, James Morris, Jessye Norman, Christa Ludwig, Gary Lakes
Studio: Deutsche Grammophon
Category: DVD
List Price: $119.98
Buy New: $71.75
You Save: $48.23 (40%)
Buy New/Used from $71.75
Avg. Customer Rating:   (71 reviews)
Sales Rank: 8496
Format: Box Set, Classical, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Full Screen, Subtitled, Ntsc
Languages: German (Original Language), English (Original Language), French (Original Language), Chinese (Original Language), Spanish (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD
Number Of Items: 7
Discs: 7
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.6
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5.5 x 2.5
MPN: 073043
UPC: 044007304396
EAN: 0044007304396
ASIN: B00006L9ZT
Release Date: November 12, 2002
Theatrical Release Date: 1990
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Similar Items:
| • | Wagner's Ring: Turning the Sky Round | | • | Wagner - Tristan und Isolde | | • | Wagner - Parsifal / Levine, Weikl, Mazura, Metropolitan Opera | | • | Puccini - Turandot / Franco Zeffirelli - Marton, Domingo, Mitchell, Plishka, Cuenod - James Levine, MET (1988) | | • | Wagner - Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg / Heppner, Mattila, Morris, Pape, Allen, Polenzani, Levine, Metropolitan Opera |
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 66 more reviews...
Great way to see a Ring Cycle January 6, 2009
I think this is a both a great introductory Ring Cycle for people new to the work and a nice video version for people already familiar to it. The voices are light for their roles, but the magic of the Ring comes across. The visuals (set designs) in Das Rheingold are spectacular. The acting and visual aspect are good here. The singers are sometimes light for their roles, but they are still decent enough. I think most opera lovers would enjoy this, if they have never seen it before.
 Best 'authentic' Wagner 'Ring' December 20, 2008
This is the best 'authentic' Wagner 'Ring' on DVD. It follows, very closely, Wagner's own staging instructions and is a wonderful representation of the Norse gods mythology. It definitely is the first 'Ring' for everyone to own--after all, the set of 4 operas is about the Norse gods and Norse mythology, not about modern power dams! My quibbles with it are few; however, the following are worth mentioning:
1. It doesn't have Fricka arriving in 'Die Walkuere', Act 2, Scene 1, in a cart (or wagon) drawn by two rams. Bruennhilde sings about this when she warns Wotan that Fricka is approaching (and, Fricka is a very mad wife--she doesn't appear as irritated as she is without the cart).
2. 'Die Walkuere', Act 3, Scene 2, has no horses for the Valkyries.
3. 'Goetterdaemmerung', Act 3, Scene 3 (the final scene), Bruennhilde does not have her horse 'Grane' when she rides into the flames.
In regards 1 above--it is just a pity this was not done per Wagner's stage instructions which are in the libretto.
In regards 2 above--it is another pity that Wagner's stage instructions were not followed. The Seattle Opera, a few years ago, managed to have flying horses complete with Valkyries upon them. If the Seattle Opera can manage to do this sort of thing, so can the Met!
In regards 3 above--it is yet again another pity that Wagner's stage instructions were not followed. These instructions state: 'Bruennhilde jumps on her horse (Grane) and with one bound leaps into the burning pyre (Sigfried's funeral pyre'). I realize there are certain problems with having a live horse on stage; mostly problems with the horse dropping little gifts on stage or wetting up the stage. However, these problems could easily be solved by having a mannequin horse animated by two members of the ballet troupe as was done in the Komiche Opera's 1984 Berlin production of Handel's Giustino. (This was spectacular, with Jochen Kowalski in one of his greatest performances. It was released on LD, but has not yet, to my knowledge been released on DVD.)
 The best of Wagner August 9, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I RECOMMENDING THIS EDITION OF WAGNER'S MUSIC -Wagner: Complete Operas
Label: Membran / Documents Catalog #: 223053
Composer: Richard Wagner
Performer: Franz Klarwein, Luise Willer, Viorica Ursuleac, Georg Hann, Hans Hotter,
Karl Ostertag, August Seider, Karl Paul, Margarete Baeumer, Marianne Schech,
Otto von Rohr, Benno Kusche, Eleanor Steber, Josef Greindl, Hans Braun,
Hermann Uhde, Astrid Varnay, Wolfgang Windgassen, Bodo Brinkmann, Tiny Peters,
Ortrun Wenkel, Wolfgang Neumann, Carla Pohl, Zlatomira Nikolova, Frode Olsen,
Gabriele Maria Ronge, Edward Cook, Malcolm Smith, John Wegner, Simon Yang,
Wilja Ernst-Mosuraitis, Hans-Jorg Weinschenk, Oleg Bryjak, Markku Tervo, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau,
Ludwig Suthaus, Kirsten Flagstad, Edgar Evans, Blanche Thebom, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf,
Otto Edelmann, Hans Hopf, Erich Kunz, Ira Malaniuk, Gerhard Unger,
Arnold Van Mill, George London, Ludwig Weber, Martha Moedl, Erna Schlueter,
Gunther Treptow, Helmut Fehn, Trude Eipperle, Rudolf Gonszar, Willy Hofmann,
Josef Lindlar, Artur Korn, Raimo Sirkiae, Manuela Kriscak, Jyrki Korhonen,
Ulrike Sonntag, Sue Patchell, Willy Friedrich, Hannelore Steffek, Kurt Equiluz,
Ludwig Welter, Anton Dermota, Hilde Zadek, Franz Handlos, Ernst Salzer
Conductor: Clemens Krauss, Robert Heger, Joseph Keilberth, Guenter Neuhold, Wilhelm Furtwaengler,
Herbert von Karajan, Hans Knappertsbusch, Winfried Zillig, Gabor Otvos
Orchestra/Ensemble: Bavarian State Opera Orchestra, Bavarian State Opera Chorus, Bayreuth Festival Orchestra,
Bayreuth Festival Chorus, Badische State Orchestra, Royal Opera House Covent Garden Chorus,
Philharmonia Orchestra, Hessian Radio Symphony Orchestra Frankfurt, Cagliari Theater Chorus,
Cagliari Theater Orchestra, Austrian Radio Chorus, Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra
Number of Discs: 43
Recorded in: Mixed
Imported from: European Union
ALL OPERAS - ALL LOVING MUSIC !
Wagner's Ring on DVD April 12, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Excellent presentations. Excellent purchase process. Delivery was within 2 or 3 days of transaction.
Epic performance March 29, 2008
This is an epic performance of the most epic of operas. The Met brings all of its awesome technical capabilities to bear in creating a splendid, if traditional, visual presentation, very nearly matched by sumptuous and passionate vocal and theatrical performances. James Morris is one of the best Wotans of the past generation. Siegfried Jerusalem is a thrilling Siegfried (and a surprisingly good Loge). Hildegarde Behrens does not fit the usual physical type for a Walkure and is not Birgit Nilssen, but still sings and acts a vital and exciting Brunnhilde. Christa Ludwig and Jessye Norman both are perhaps a little past their primes, but do very well in filling their rolls as Fricka and Sieglinde. Etc., etc. all the way through the impressive and large cast. Levine's conducting is never boring and often electrifying. I was very pleased with this DVD set, especially after being very disappointed in the Met's static and boring Tristan.
|
|
|
