Best "Tannhauser" CD?
John Neary
and "Tristan" CDs. But how about "Tannhauser"? I'd like a great
recording: good enough sound (stereo--and, if live, as little
audience noise as possible) and great performances. Suggestions?
--John Neary (72430...@compuserve.com)
Clifford Ando
modern recordings of Tannhauser are few and far between. I think that
Domingo can/could sing the role well, but I really can't recommend
Sinopoli. I think several more have appeared in the last few years, and
perhaps someone else can provide a recommendation.
But.... please consider several older recordings. First, three
different performances by L. Melchior:
Jan. 4, 1941: with Thorborg and Flagstad, and then Janssen, List, and
Harrell, cond. Leinsdorf. Melchior is fantastic, and the women are
superb. 3-Walhall-7. Expensive, alas, but worth it.
Dec. 19, 1942: with Thorborg and Traubel, and then Janssen, Kipnis, and
Garris, cond. Szell. Another very fine performance; Kipnis is, of
course, a plus. This was one of Szell's first appearances at the Met.
Music and Arts 664, which includes a few (pretty badly preserved)
excerpts from Flagstad performances of the previous decade.
March 6, 1948: with Varnay and Traubel, and Janssen and Szekely, cond.
Stiedry. Melchior is perhaps in not as good shape here, but Varnay is
worth hearing. And this release (Myto MCD 935.90) comes with excerpts
from a 1942 Berlin Tannhauser, with Lorenz and Reining.
Then, in even worse sound, but still very much worth hearing, are the
bits and pieces preserved from the 1930 Bayreuth cast, cond. by the
distinguished K. Elmendorff. Toscanini had done Tannhauser at Bayreuth
the previous year, and had rehearsed with parts of this cast and the
orchestra. And the cast is worth hearing: Pilinszky as Tannhauser, then
Mueller and Jost-Arden, and Andresen and a young Janssen, and the
absolutely delightful Erna Berger as the Shepherd. On Pearl 9941.
PER ARVIDSSON
72430...@CompuServe.COM says...
>
Tannhauser"? . Suggestions?
>
>--John Neary (72430...@compuserve.com)
In my opinion the best Tannhauser with very good sound is Solti's with
Rene´Kollo( avery experienced Wagnertenor still at his best in this
recording).A minus for Helga Dernesch's Elisabeth. The orchestra and
choir sound marvellous.... (DECCA 414 581-2 in Europe ..hope you have
the same number in USA??) P.O.Arvidsson, Sweden.
Sara Freeman
I don't think he can be matched. He has a certain sweetness to his
strong voice that somehow fits Wagner's young heroes. Also, his
interpretations, whether of Wagner or anybody else, all--even when his
singing isn't up to par--reflect a great deal of intelligence. I
believe a critic once put it that you always know that he knows exactly
what he wants to do with a role even though at a particular time he may
not be able to vocally carry it off.
John Neary
I posted this yesterday to the Newsgroup--WHAT DO YOU ALL
CONSIDER THE BEST "TANNHAUSER" CD (IN STEREO)? I got a couple of
good responses (both recommended the Solti). But I got the
responses via e-mail, and the whole topic then disappeared from
the Newsgroup. So I'm mounting it again. Do most readers agree
that the Solti is best? What is the American label and catalog #
for this recording?
Thanks!
John Neary (72430...@compuserve.com)
David Pickering
recorded "Tannhauser"(or if he has plans to do so)? If so, how good is
the recording?
Thanks.
Dave
dp...@andrew.cmu.edu
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check out the list of recommended recordings on the Naxos label (great
classical music for those on a budget):
http://haycorn.psy.cmu.edu/~dp3u/naxos.html
"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists
elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
--Calvin & Hobbes
Niklaus Vogel
Paris version available at the time). Everything went well until the
very end when the "younger pilgrims" bring out the Pope's staff. What do
we get? The Vienna Boys Choir back from confessing their heinous crimes.
Nice, but it totally ruined the dramatic situation for me, and I've had
trouble with the set ever since.
Bernie Wynne
>Path:
>news.demon.co.uk!dispatch.news.demon.net!demon!tank.news.pipex.net!pipex!howland
>.reston.ans.net!ix.netcom.com!netnews
>From: fre...@ix.netcom.com (Sara Freeman )
>Newsgroups: rec.music.opera
>Subject: Re: Best "Tannhauser" CD?
>Date: 1 Oct 1995 19:47:57 GMT
>Organization: Netcom
>Lines: 23
>Message-ID: <44mr9d$p...@ixnews5.ix.netcom.com>
>References: <44kvkp$sh3$1...@mhafm.production.compuserve.com>
><44mjld$i...@mn5.swip.net>
>NNTP-Posting-Host: ix-nbw-nj1-07.ix.netcom.com
>X-NETCOM-Date: Sun Oct 01 12:47:57 PM PDT 1995
As with *Dutchman*, there is no ideal or even overall good recording. Only
safe ones. For *Tannhaeuser*, I'd agree with the Solti recommendation. If you
like your Wagner cool, try Sawallisch from Bayreuth (G Jones doubling as
Venus/Elisabeth I seem to remember).
I will not be drawn on *Dutchman*. I'm not even sure I'd really like it at all
if it wasn't by Wagner. A lot of it is very work-a-day (as opposed to
stretches of *Tannhaeuser* which can sound arid but still seem to *fit*).
BmW
sh...@dorsai.org
>As with *Dutchman*, there is no ideal or even overall good recording. Only
>safe ones. For *Tannhaeuser*, If you
>like your Wagner cool, try Sawallisch from Bayreuth (G Jones doubling as
>Venus/Elisabeth I seem to remember).
I believe Colin Davis conducted this performance, and that it is
available on video. The Sawallisch performance is audio only and
stars Wolfgang Windgassen. I believe Anja Silja is also on it, but
there is no "doubling" of Venus and Elisabeth. That was only done in
the Gotz Friedrich production.
I think Tannhauser hasn't been well served in the studio, but there
are some exciting live performances, most from Bayreuth. One such is
the Sawallisch, which is in decent stereo. There is also the 1964,
with Windgassen and Rysanek, but it has disappointing conducting by
Otmar Suitner. Better is the 1954 with Keilbirth conducting and Vinay
as Tann.
Steve Milne
outstanding recording is the Sawallisch live set from 1960's
Bayreuth. Get it on Phillips, I believe.-- -------
--------------------------------------------------------------------| Steve
Milne EMail steve@ || Mail
sent via Demon Internet - Full IP for 10/Month Tel:0181 371 1234 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trisha Benedict
: I believe Colin Davis conducted this performance, and that it is
: available on video. The Sawallisch performance is audio only and
: stars Wolfgang Windgassen. I believe Anja Silja is also on it, but
: there is no "doubling" of Venus and Elisabeth. That was only done in
: the Gotz Friedrich production.
I'd vote for the Sawallisch, but then, I'm a big fan of Eberhard Waechter
and his Wolfram is scrumtious. And I liked that Anja Silja was only 21 or
22 when she sang it. She sounds just right for the part of an Elisabeth
or an Elsa (IMHO).
I also like the EMI/Konwitschny. Hans Hopf is a rather dark tenor,
which works well for the part and Elisabeth Gru"mmer is to die for! (F-D
is Wolfram. (Dresden version)
Trish
MC DOWELL
Anyone else going to attend this? Has anyone heard about the
performance? Is it good? etc......
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Josh's Signature "Operettas are for the weak." - Josh McD
<jmcd...@nmsu.edu> "Would you trade your words for freedom,
that's a barter for a blind man." - Amy Ray
"The world must be all fucked up, when men travel first class and
literature goes as freight." - Arnaldo from Marquez's _100 Years of Solitude_
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Paul Pelkonen
As a die hard Wagnerian, I always had trouble with Tannhauser. I bough tthe
Solti recording about a year ago on CD. I liked the music very much, I mean
the first time I heard the Venusberg ballet it made me want to leap for joy;
the first time I heard the Overture I was just totally floored. But, Rne Kollo
has never been my favorite tenor in any situatiohn.
I Just bought the Sinopoli set, used. It's playuing as I write
this. Although Domingo has yet to pen his mouth I found this to be an
absolutely fabulous, slow, Knappertsbutschian overture, with stately tempos
iand the sound is gorgeous. I held off buying it a long time but finally said
"wgat the hell" and went for it. And so far, I am not dissapointed with
Sinopoli's Tannhauser. I'll let yall know how the reusof the set is, but in
buying it I had one reason. Matti Salminen.
Paul
Ai
Byungik Kahng
>--John Neary (72430...@compuserve.com)
My favorite: Sinopoli's DG set.
I didn't go through your follow posts, yet, but I bet there must be a lot
of people telling you not to go for Sinopoli. I, on the contrary, think
Sinopoli's is a very good choice. It is far from conventional interpretation,
I agree, but not that far. It has really slow tempo, as all other Sinopoli's
works. It, I think, bothers many Wagnerians. However, if you like Italian
operas, espacially if you have liked any one piece by Carlo Maria Guillini,
I bet you will fall in love with Sinopoli. The Orchestra sound is so warm,
smooth and seductive. It has little snarl if at all. It describes sexy,
seductive Venus better than any other recordings avilable, and coupled
with Agnes Baltza's marvelous singing, tops everything as far as Venusberg
part is concerned. Also this naturally leads Tannhauser's inner conflict,
between flesh and heart, all the more touching. Much better than Solti's
streightforward interpretation.
It's no secrete that I'm a Domingo fan. I rarely say anything bad about him.
A hero who conveys humanity, inner conflict, the anguish and dispair,
in short all the double nature of human mind, both heroism and vulnarabilty
at the same time, that's Placido Domingo's speciality. Listen to his Otello,
Samson, whatever. For Sinopoli's unorthodox interpretation to emphasize
Tannhauser's human side rather than the battle between the good verse the evil,
Domingo was the perfect choice. This isn't the recording trgetting only
the market with a big name star as the title role which doesn't suits his
voice. There is nobody better than Placido Domingo for this interpretation,
which I and many other prefer to the textbook works by all others.
Cheril Studer is perfect for Elisabeth. A little too perfect that her
interpretation sounds a bit mundane, or textbooklike. These couple show the
same trouble, although very minor, as they sowed later in Otello.
Studer's voice is as beautiful as ever and firm enough to step up in front of
swords which are drwan for her lover. Helga Dernsh's voice was warmer,
gentler, but wasn't firm enough. Interestingly enough, it is Dernesh that
conveyed her anguish, inner conflict, purity and vulnerability at the same
time as Elisabeth in Solti's set. Studer didn't or wasn't able to do that.
However, this still is not far from conventional and perhaps mannerismic
approach. A heroine being pure wnd vulnerable isn't much of a double sided
nature of humanity. Being crual and vulnerable (Amneris, maybe), hysteric
and vulnerble(Santuzza, for example), or even pure and perverted(Kundri) are.
Studer and Domingo aren't just right couple. We had Tannhauser and Otello,
so far but if they are coupled again, we will have the same preblem again.
However, Agnes Baltza (Venus) and Placido Domingo are great matchup. Perhaps
better than acclaimed Domingo - Waltraut Meier match up in Samson.
I don't like Andreas Schmidt's Wolfram. It was a total failure. He had a nice
voice, though, I prefer stronger Wolfram. He is the one who wrote the legend
of Tannhauser in the Venusberg, so that Wagner could capitalize it centries
later. Schmidt is just a lyric bariton, suits well for Schubert. He spoiled
Haitink's Rheingold as Donner, although he was only one of ten thousend faults
in it. His voice suits better as Wolfram von Essenbach. Some critics
say he sang wonderfully in Tannhauser, and some say he didn't sang well depite
that his voice was ideal for the role, but I don't agree. I preferred
Bernd Weikl in Met performance.
If you want to go for the other end of the spectrum, consider Sawalisch's
Bayreythe performance set, which has real good snarl and bang bang.
Espacially, chorus is very good. I'll stick to Sinopoli.
Byungik, Urbana
GregF NC
Konwitschny set with Grummer, Fischer-Dieskau, & Frick - they are all just
superb. Unfortunately the Tannhauser is lousy - loud & unmusical. But
this set is still very enjoyable. After all, there is a lot of singing
besides Tannhauser's.
Frankly, I have difficulty with Domingo in Wagner - even though he sings
very well, he just seems out of place somehow.