Ring Cycles

johnsonad · 1648

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline johnsonad

  • Hero Member
  • *****
    • Posts: 1670
on: May 31, 2021, 11:34:48 AM
For the classical fans out there, what is your favorite recorded Ring Cycle?  For me it's the Karajan.  The sound production is fantastic and it's a joy to listen to.  I have favorite singers in other cycles but as a whole, this one sounds fantastic. 

Aaron Johnson


Offline denti alligator

  • Hero Member
  • *****
    • Posts: 1149
Reply #1 on: May 31, 2021, 01:17:20 PM
Not a huge Wagner fan, but Karajan is pretty great. Furtwängler‘s Tristan from 1952 is amazing. Not the Ring, I know.

- Sam

Rega P3-24 (w/AT 150MLX) w/Groovetracer upgrades / Eros II / FLAC >J.River >DSD256 >Gustard X20 / Moreplay > Stereomour II / Klipsch Forte II w/Crites upgrades / C4S S.E.X. 2.0 +Nickel MQ Iron / Speedball Crack / Sennheiser HD600 w/Cardas cable


Offline Paul Joppa

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
    • Posts: 5751
Reply #2 on: May 31, 2021, 01:46:27 PM
I've been listening to the Solti classic for many decades. That and Bernstein's Mahler cycle are two that I keep coming back to. I'll keep an eye open for the Karajan!

Paul Joppa


Offline Colonl_Charisma

  • Full Member
  • ***
    • Posts: 219
Reply #3 on: June 02, 2021, 08:08:04 AM
I appreciate the recommendation, and I was able to locate this Ring recording on Spotify last night. I have always been intimidated by the length of the Ring Cycle so I have never given it a listen.

Do you have any tracks that you would recommend?

Ross


Offline Doc B.

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
    • Posts: 9540
    • Bottlehead
Reply #4 on: June 02, 2021, 09:01:07 AM
I have only von Karajan Die Walkure on tape. But I just realized I also have the London Solti/Vienna Die Walkure, Siegfried and Gotterdamerung on tape and Das Rheingold on LP. Serendipity!

Dan "Doc B." Schmalle
President For Life
Bottlehead Corp.


Offline johnsonad

  • Hero Member
  • *****
    • Posts: 1670
Reply #5 on: June 03, 2021, 01:31:43 AM
PJ, the Solti is the only complete cycle I have on LP and it's a great recording.  I read somewhere it took Decca 40 years to recoup the cost from that production. On CD I picked up the Janowski/Dresden cycle though I listen to it infrequently.

Die Walkure is my favorite act of the cycle and if you're not into 14 hours of listening, it offers excitement and beautiful music.

Aaron Johnson


Offline Colonl_Charisma

  • Full Member
  • ***
    • Posts: 219
Reply #6 on: June 03, 2021, 05:42:28 AM
Thanks! I now see that the tracks are divided up into Cycles. I found the Die Walkure Cycle, and I’ll definitely give that a listen.

Ross


Offline johnsonad

  • Hero Member
  • *****
    • Posts: 1670
Reply #7 on: June 03, 2021, 09:53:41 AM
Ross, all of the cycles are good, but some are slow. Wanger did a brilliant job of building the cycles. If you have a favorite opera singer(s), find a cycle they were part of.

On another note, i picked up the complete Karajan on LP today for $50. Looking forward to playing it all the way through on LP.

Aaron Johnson