Wagner: Siegfried

La Scala, Milan, Daniel Barenboim

ARTHAUS 101 695

 

On paper this looks to be about as good as it gets; Barenboim with the orchestra of La Scala, Milan, and a clutch of fine Wagner singers. So what went wrong? The most important is, unfortunately, the Siegfried of Lance Ryan. Though his quieter singing is often sensitive, for too much of the time he pushes his voice, producing an uncomfortable sense of strain and often ugly tone. While he might just get away with this in a live performance it is not acceptable for one which we are being asked to live with. That Peter Bronder’s Mime and Johannes Martin Kranzle’s Alberich are so good only highlights the disparity. There is also a problem with singers needing to keep an eye on the conductor. Both Lance Ryan and Terje Stensvold’s Wanderer too frequently look away from the person they are singing to and towards the pit. This breaks the credibility of the action, and undermines the psychological impact.

Guy Cassiers’ production and design often produce some very beautiful stage effects, particularly the opening of act two. However he does have some very strange ideas. Siegfried, alone in the forest, is surrounded by a number of dancers plus a young woman in a wedding dress who we gather is the spirit of the woodbird. The dragon is, as usual these days, a disaster, and Brunnhilde appears to be waking up on a pile of dirty laundry left by the departing Valkyries.

Maybe later revivals will address some of these issues, but it is too late for the release of the recordings which, while having some passing interest, are not really good enough to live with.

A missed opportunity.

 

 Wagner: Wesendonck Lieder and overtures

Nina Stemme, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Thomas Dausgaard

BIS 2022

 

A rather unusual mixture here. Nina Stemme is well focussed and passionate in the Wesendonck Lieder, and the inclusion of the arrangement of Traume for violin and orchestra is interesting. However I wonder how many listeners would need both versions of the overture to Der Fliegende Hollander or yet another prelude to Die Meistersinger?

 

Britten: Peter Grimes

Britten-Pears Orchestra, Steuart Bedford

ARTHAUS 102179

 

This should not make any sense, yet it was a triumph, not only for all those involved but for the impact of the work in the open air. If you are still unconvinced, watch it for yourselves.

 

 Verdi: Requiem

Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus, Carlo Maria Giulini

EUROARTS 3079968

 

I remember hearing Giulini conduct the Verdi Requiem in London at about the same time that this recording was made and it is just as thrilling as my memory recalls. It is one of the truly great benefits of modern technology that we can relish the music making of previous generations with such ease. The soloists are operatically impressive, and the whole approach is extrovert and engaging. The fact that it is in monochrome and a little hazy at times should not put anyone off.

 

Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Karl Bohm

Salzburg Festival 1965

 

I noted above how good it is to have these early recordings, even if they are in monochrome, and this outstanding Ariadne supports the point. Drawn from strength, there is not a weak moment in the casting, with a range of legendary voices, including Paul Schoffler as the Music Master, Sena Jurinac as the composer, Reri Grist as Zerbinetta, Hildegard Hillebrecht as Ariadne and Jess Thomas as Bacchus. Gunther Rennert’s production may seem old-fashioned and lacking in ‘ideas’ but it serves the music perfectly and allows the singers to create their characters with subtlety and close attention to detail. The soloists interact as if in a play rather than singing in a vast opera house. Karl Bohm’s conducting is fluid and romantic throughout. A gem!