Die Meistersinger (recordings)
William D. Kasimer
LTopper314 wrote:
> I am interested in getting a couple of recordings of Wagner's Die Meistersinger
> von Nurnburg. What recordings if any do people on the board recommend? Has
> anyone heard the newest release on Music and Arts from a 1956 Bayreuth
> performance with Cluytens and Hotter? Is this one recommended? It seems kind
> of expensive.
Check rec.music.classical.recordings; there's been a recent thread on
just this topic.
Bill
--
William D. Kasimer
wk...@mindspring.com
wk...@juno.com
LTopper314
I am interested in getting a couple of recordings of Wagner's Die Meistersinger
von Nurnburg. What recordings if any do people on the board recommend? Has
anyone heard the newest release on Music and Arts from a 1956 Bayreuth
performance with Cluytens and Hotter? Is this one recommended? It seems kind
of expensive.
Lindsey
GRNDPADAVE
>Subject: Die Meistersinger (recordings)
>From: ltopp...@aol.com (LTopper314)
>Date: Tue, Mar 17, 1998 19:23 EST
>Message-id: <199803180023...@ladder01.news.aol.com>
No one recording is going to capture the entirety of the majesty and sheer
loveliness of this opera.
-
But if I were restricted to only one recording, it would the one led by Kempe
with the Berlin Philharmonic. Grummer is superb as Eva. Ferdinand Frantz I
think, an under-rated bass baritone, sings with both warmth and resignation as
Hans Sachs. (He was even better as Furtwaengler's Wotan in DIE WALKUERE).
Gottlob Frick is a noble-sounding Pogner. Rudolf Schock is a lyrical Walther.
The sound is quite good although it is mono. And before I forget, Benno Kusche
is among the least exaggerated and most musical exponents of Beckmesser.
-
Eugen Jochum's recording would rank higher in my view were it not for the
disastrous Hans Sachs. The Walther von Stolzing sings like a dream, but this
is the baritone's opera.
== G/P Dave
E.J. van Sten
I prefer the 1994 Sawallisch recording. It's very well conducted, nice flowing
pace, and the singers are all competent, some great (Studer, Heppner). It may be
flawed, but it's the recording I usually turn to if I want to listen to Die
Meistersinger. Also, you should check out Kubelick's Meistersinger, issued on a
small label (don't remember which one), but originally recorded by Deutsche
Grammophon
EJ
Eduardo Gabarra
> >I am interested in getting a couple of recordings of Wagner's Die
> >Meistersinger
> >von Nurnburg. What recordings if any do people on the board recommend?
Has
> >anyone heard the newest release on Music and Arts from a 1956 Bayreuth
> >performance with Cluytens and Hotter? Is this one recommended? It
seems
> >kind of expensive.
GRNDPADAVE <grndp...@aol.com> wrote in article
<199803180110...@ladder01.news.aol.com>...
(snip)
> But if I were restricted to only one recording, it would the one led by
Kempe
> with the Berlin Philharmonic. Grummer is superb as Eva. Ferdinand
Frantz I
> think, an under-rated bass baritone, sings with both warmth and
resignation as
> Hans Sachs.
(snip)
> Eugen Jochum's recording would rank higher in my view were it not for the
> disastrous Hans Sachs. The Walther von Stolzing sings like a dream, but
this
> is the baritone's opera.
Dave:
I couldn't agree more with the last paragraph. On the other hand, I'd
choose different recordings as a first and second Meistersinger.
I like Kempe's recording for EMI (see anon) but think that Meistersinger
gains a lot from a stereo recording which unravels the incredible
contrapuntal writing. Therefore I'd pick Kubelik's recording on Calig. It
is very well cast all around and has the most beautiful recording of the
quintet I've ever heard.
In case you don't know, this is a Bavarian Radio production that DDG
co-sponsored with every intention of issuing. Allegedly, they were
dissuaded from doing it by the protestations of a "well-known baritone" on
their roster, who wanted to record Sachs. It is said that he threatened no
to renew his contract unless he was given the role in a Meistersinger
recording - a disastrously mannered rendition in fake heldenbariton tones,
it turned out.
For a supplementary recording I'd pick Kempe, but preferably his first
recording, recently issued by Myto (or Melodram). The cast is as good as
in the EMI. In fact, I think that Franz is in fresher voice and prefer
Tiana Lemnitz to Elisabeth Gruemmer. And the conducting is more alive than
in the second version, which I find a mite studio-bound.
And I'd like to put a good word for two other recordings.
Solti's recent effort has a few defects. The title role is occasionally
under-sung, the conducting is sometimes over-driven, though less than one
would expect from Solti, and the masters are a less than idiomatic than in
Munich or Bayreuth. Even so, it is a beautiful recording, with a wonderful
orchestra and chorus, a superb Walther and a cast that, for whatever its
individual shortcomings, and they are very minor, stands up collectively
very well against the competition.
The other is the Bayreuth 1943 recording under Hermann Abendroth. This is
possibly the most integrated recording of all, where every participant,
from the conductor to every chorister, has the style at his or her
fingertips. And very well sung, too. By that time he Germans were already
using tape so that the sound is almost up to 1950 studio standards.
Eduardo Gabarra
LTopper314
> Therefore I'd pick Kubelik's recording on Calig. It
>is very well cast all around and has the most beautiful recording of the
>quintet I've ever heard.
Is the sound on the Calig Meistersinger better than the earlier incarnation of
the same performance on Myto. Normally, Myto does a very good job. Secondly,
the Myto incarnation of the Kubelik performance is often available at reduced
prices these days. Based upon price, Calig is a super-premium label.
Additionally, thanks for the thoughtful response.
Lindsey
Alexander Ross
E.J. van Sten schrieb:
> I prefer the 1994 Sawallisch recording. It's very well conducted, nice flowing
> pace, and the singers are all competent, some great (Studer, Heppner). It may be
> flawed,(...)
I was wondering why this production never ignited any thrill or even a warm feeling
when I listened to it but I finally found out. I feel the problem is that many
scenes have not been sung together - the stars just popped into the studio when their
filofax allowed it and taped their track. Take a good pair of headphones you can
almost hear that the singers don't look into the face of their partner just because
there was no one. Grant it an AA for the best post-production, not for a good piece
of ensemble singing. It's good material for a "Best of Meistersinger" compilation
but nothing that makes me listen to it from A to Z. I'm sorry but for me this a
perfect example of a modern all-star-cast but no spirit and I wonder why an old
Kapellmeister like Sawallisch went below his own standards.
With dissatisfied great expectations,
Alexander Ross
Berlin
jfu...@unix.asb.com
I like the Jochum although Fischer-Dieskau is not my ideal Sachs and I
agree with Eduardo
that stereo frees this music especially. However, my favorite - not
available in stereo - is still the wonderful old London ffrr set with the
Sachs of Paul Schoeffler and a really stellar cast.
I was privileged to see/hear Schoeffler in the part at the end of his
career and it's something
I'll never forget.
Joe
In article <01bd52ef$bd156800$5d39e1c8@default>, "Eduardo Gabarra"
<eun...@centroin.com.br> wrote:
> contrapuntal writing. Therefore I'd pick Kubelik's recording on Calig. It
> is very well cast all around and has the most beautiful recording of the
> quintet I've ever heard.
>
Michael Heiser
I own two recordings.
1. The (early 60s) Bayreuth recording conducted by Varviso with
Ridderbusch, Jean Cox, Hannelore Bode. IMHO a good all rounder but nothing
to get excited about.
2. Solti's swan song, (yes I know it isn't Lohengrin) with the Chicago.
The strengths are the conducting (The way that the Act II riot is controlled
is masterful), Heppner's Walther and Mattila's Eva. The down is Van Dam's
Sachs which I don't think has the required depth.
The two top performances I have seen on stage are Tomlinson in London and
Reiner Goldberg in Berlin but I am not sure if either has recorded the role.
Or we will just have to wait for Bryn Terfel to get around to it....
Michael Heiser
LTopper314 wrote in message
<199803180023...@ladder01.news.aol.com>...
>I am interested in getting a couple of recordings of Wagner's Die
Meistersinger
>von Nurnburg. What recordings if any do people on the board recommend?
Has
>anyone heard the newest release on Music and Arts from a 1956 Bayreuth
>performance with Cluytens and Hotter? Is this one recommended? It seems
kind
>of expensive.
>
>Lindsey
The Clark Family
> Reiner Goldberg in Berlin but I am not sure if either has recorded the > role.
Has Goldberg in fact found a way to finally master his text. He used to
be infamous for faling to do so (though he still made a great Siegfried
for Levine).
-Graham Clark
wk...@mindspring.com
> Is the sound on the Calig Meistersinger better than the earlier incarnation
> of the same performance on Myto.
The Calig does sound better, at least on a good system. For me, the
sonic difference is enough that it's worth the difference in price for a
first purchase of the performance, but not sufficient to warrant replacing the
Myto if one already owns it.
Bill
William D. Kasimer
wk...@juno.com
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Richard G
In article <199803180023...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
ltopp...@aol.com (LTopper314) wrote:
> I am interested in getting a couple of recordings of Wagner's Die
Meistersinger
> von Nurnburg. What recordings if any do people on the board recommend? Has
> anyone heard the newest release on Music and Arts from a 1956 Bayreuth
> performance with Cluytens and Hotter? Is this one recommended? It seems kind
> of expensive.
>
> Lindsey
Here's a voice from the past.
Remember our long discussions when I was classical manager at Muchnick's
in Philadelphia?
How are you?
I am now computer systems manager for a special services district in
Philadelphia. My job is very interesting and challenging, but I do miss
the music talk.
This is a terrific list and it helps me keep my feet in the field, so to speak.
Regards,
Richard Gross
musi...@philly.infi.net