Kna's 1951 Gotterdammerung
Tony Duggan
last of the fabled Decca recording made at the 1951
Bayreuth Festival of Gotterdammerung conducted by
Knappertsbusch. Culshaw was in charge of the taping.
This is on Testament SBT4175 and seems to be taken
from masters. Available in September.
--
Tony Duggan
Staffordshire,
United Kingdom.
George Murnu
How about the rest of the Ring cycle? Is there anything available in
equally good sound?
Thanks,
George
Tony Duggan
Only G*t*m*g mentioned. I always understood that the Decca people
didn't record the whole cycle, only parts.
kapel...@my-deja.com
Tony Duggan <scri...@dial.pipex.com> wrote:
> I think many here will be interested in a release at
> last of the fabled Decca recording made at the 1951
> Bayreuth Festival of Gotterdammerung conducted by
> Knappertsbusch. Culshaw was in charge of the taping.
> This is on Testament SBT4175 and seems to be taken
> from masters. Available in September.
>
> --
> Tony Duggan
> Staffordshire,
> United Kingdom.
>
I assume this is the one with Astrid Varnay as Brunnhilde and Bernd
Aldenhoff as Siegfried? Do you know if the Waltraute will be Elisabeth
Hongen or Ruth Siewert, whom I believe shared the role in 1951? If I
also remember correctly, this Ring was shared by Knappertsbusch and
Karajan.
Marc
>
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
Tony Duggan
>
> In article <37A623...@dial.pipex.com>,
> Tony Duggan <scri...@dial.pipex.com> wrote:
> > I think many here will be interested in a release at
> > last of the fabled Decca recording made at the 1951
> > Bayreuth Festival of Gotterdammerung conducted by
> > Knappertsbusch. Culshaw was in charge of the taping.
> > This is on Testament SBT4175 and seems to be taken
> > from masters. Available in September.
> >
> > --
> > Tony Duggan
> > Staffordshire,
> > United Kingdom.
> >
>
> I assume this is the one with Astrid Varnay as Brunnhilde and Bernd
> Aldenhoff as Siegfried? Do you know if the Waltraute will be Elisabeth
> Hongen or Ruth Siewert, whom I believe shared the role in 1951? If I
> also remember correctly, this Ring was shared by Knappertsbusch and
> Karajan.
It was shared with Karajan.
The advert I am looking at just lists the following as cast:
Varnay, Aldenhoff, Weber, Modl, Hongen, Schwarzkopf.
Looks like Hongen for Waltraute and doubling up for Norn and/or
Maidens ?????
September release, BTW. 4 CDs. Music Discount Centre in London
is taking orders now. (I have no connection etc.........)
Tony Duggan
>
> In article <37A623...@dial.pipex.com>,
> Tony Duggan <scri...@dial.pipex.com> wrote:
> > I think many here will be interested in a release at
> > last of the fabled Decca recording made at the 1951
> > Bayreuth Festival of Gotterdammerung conducted by
> > Knappertsbusch. Culshaw was in charge of the taping.
> > This is on Testament SBT4175 and seems to be taken
> > from masters. Available in September.
> >
> > --
> > Tony Duggan
> > Staffordshire,
> > United Kingdom.
> >
>
> I assume this is the one with Astrid Varnay as Brunnhilde and Bernd
> Aldenhoff as Siegfried? Do you know if the Waltraute will be Elisabeth
> Hongen or Ruth Siewert, whom I believe shared the role in 1951? If I
> also remember correctly, this Ring was shared by Knappertsbusch and
> Karajan.
> It was shared with Karajan.
But I should say that the recording is only conducted by Kna as Decca
could only record him. Karajan was contracted to EMI, as Culshaw points
out in his memoirs.
Edward A. Cowan
> Only G*t*m*g mentioned. I always understood that the Decca people
> didn't record the whole cycle, only parts.
John Culshaw writes, in _Ring Resounding_, pp.28-31 (this is the edition
that came with the Solti LPs, except that I don't have the LPs...) that
an attempt was made to record the entire Knapperstbusch _Ring_, but all
they had to go on was one dress rehearsal and one performance of each of
the four music dramas. All sorts of gremlins contributed to making the
first three of them unissuable, and the _Götterdämmerung_ was similarly
believed to be unissuable, even though several LP sides for a projected
release of this work were in fact made. Nonetheless, Culshaw insists
here that this was *the* _Götterdämmerung_ of the 1951 festival, and so
I'm delighted to know that it will finally be published. (I have Kna
_Rings_ from 1956 and 1958.)
Back in 1954, when Allegro-Royale published a hoked-up _Ring_ with
pseudonyms for the real personnel (it was actually the Keilberth _Ring_
from Bayreuth, 1953), and a few months after _Saturday Review of
Literature_ published an exposé of this recording, another writer
(Culshaw?) published in that magazine an article describing the attempt
by Decca/London to record the _Ring_ of 1951, noting the many glitches
that ultimately led to the non-publication of those tapes. (LP issues of
Karajan's 1951 _Das Rheingold_ and _Siegfried_ appeared on Melodram, and
EMI itself published Act 3 of Karajan's _Die Walküre_, but there has
been so far no trace of the 1951 _Götterdämmerung_ conducted by HvK, nor
of the remainder of his 1951 _Walküre_.)
-- E.A.C.
kapel...@my-deja.com
1951 Parsifal, whilst conducted by Kna, was actually rehearsed by
karajan for several weeks. I suppose we can assume that if he did not
rehearse Parsifal he must have used his time to rehearse the Ring - but
maybe not.
Do you now whether Cluyten's 1957 Parsifal from Bayreuth has ever
appeared. My father claims it was the most moving Parsifal he ever
heard at Bayreuth. And such a delight to hear Vinay in as Parsifal.
What are your views of the 1952 Tristan with Karajan/Vinay/Varnay?
Juan I. Cahis
>Do you now whether Cluyten's 1957 Parsifal from Bayreuth has ever
>appeared. My father claims it was the most moving Parsifal he ever
>heard at Bayreuth. And such a delight to hear Vinay in as Parsifal.
>What are your views of the 1952 Tristan with Karajan/Vinay/Varnay?
>
>Marc
I understand that it is Karajan/Vinay/Modl, and it is superb. There is
another one by Jochum/Vinay/Varnay.
Thanks
Juan I. Cahis
Santiago de Chile (South America)
Email: jic...@ibm.net.nospam jic...@reuna.cl.nospam
To send me Email, please remove ".nospam" from my Email address
Note: Please forgive me for my bad English, I am trying to improve it!
G Riggs
>What are your views of the 1952 Tristan with Karajan/Vinay/Varnay?
>
>Marc
Unless I am very much mistaken, the only Tristan pairing Vinay with Varnay
has Jochum conducting, not Karajan. Frankly, I have not yet heard the
Jochum, but hope to soon. I admit that, as a rule, I find Varnay lacking in
warmth, though clearly her dramatic impact in person must have compensated,
given the evident admiration from those who saw her "live."
But there is indeed a Karajan/Vinay Tristan, and, yes, it does come from
1952, "live" at Neu Bayreuth. The Isolde here is Martha Moedl, not Varnay.
Though her top is not so secure as Varnay's, the sheer warmth in Moedl's
tones are at a polar opposite from Varnay's. There are, in fact, many
undeniably beautiful tones in Moedl's instrument. They have that special
simpatico quality (the "tear-in-the-voice" quality) associated only with the
greatest artists. This is what Varnay lacks -- IMHO. Some of the role may
lie slightly high for Moedl, but her Act I (the longest stretch for Isolde)
is stupendous. Both vocally and dramatically, this is a thoroughly
engaging, moving impersonation.
As for Vinay, if we except Vickers and Melchior, he now strikes me as the
finest Tristan on disc -- and all of the role lies handily in his range.
Expressively and vocally, he establishes a consistent standard throughout.
I'm usually wary of Karajan -- too frequently de-energized for me -- but in
the early '50s he could be a dynamo. That plus his innate feeling for
textural control tell in this performance. The combination is rare in the
later Karajan. One is grateful to have it here.
Even though no Tristan und Isolde set completely satisfies, this recording
grows on one. The conviction throughout is partly due to its being Wieland
Wagner's first Neu Bayreuth Tristan. A great director finally in his metier
with two acute interpreters performing at Wagner's own hall -- it's a potent
brew and this is quite a b'cast.
In case you haven't guessed, this is -- for now-- my top choice among all
Tristan sets (but I reserve the right to change my mind <g>).
Avoid the Opera d'Oro pressing. I have heard bad things about it. If you
want this in good sound, go for the Myto, the Arkadia, or the Hunt.
This is far from the only Tristan set worth considering. If you want to get
some idea of just how some other sets may actually surpass this one in
specific ways -- though not across the board, IMO -- you can browse the
Tristan page at:
http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/7023/tristan.htm
Cordially,
Geoffrey Riggs
--
==============================================
The Collector's Guide to Opera Recordings and Videos
http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/7023
The Collector's Guide to Books on Opera
http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/7023/reading.htm
==============================================
kapel...@my-deja.com
"G Riggs" <ehu...@concentric.net> wrote:
> kapel...@my-deja.com wrote in message <7o8nko$rh9
My fault. I incorrectly entered Varnay when I meant Modl. I have the
Myto set and have long thought it a stupendous performance. My error,
however, did direct me to your Tristan page. An excellent diversion
that I have now bookmarked. thank you.
Marc Bridle--
> ==============================================
> The Collector's Guide to Opera Recordings and Videos
> http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/7023
> The Collector's Guide to Books on Opera
> http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/7023/reading.htm
> ==============================================
>
>
Derek Haslam
Edward A. Cowan <eac...@anet-dfw.com> wrote:
> Nonetheless, Culshaw insists
> here that this was *the* _Götterdämmerung_ of the 1951 festival
True, but he also says "Like anything with scarcity value, the reputation
of this set has soared out of all proportion to its artistic worth......It
would have been a worthwhile addition to the catalogue in 1952 but is of
little more than curiosity value today".
Well, we'll soon have the opportunity to judge for ourselves!
Derek
--
__ __ __ __ __
/ \ | ||__ |__)/ | | |_ Derek Haslam: Acorn Computer Enthusiast
\_\/ |__||__ | \\__ |__| __| que...@argonet.co.uk
\ Mastery of the rules is a pre-requisite for creatively breaking them.