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DVD : Wagner - Siegfried / Siegfried Jerusalem, John Tomlinson, Anne Evans, Graham Clarke, Daniel Barenboim, Bayreuth Opera
1 2 3 4
Rating: 
- A TERRIBLE STAGING
Somebody had the bright idea of setting this in a junk yard (yes, a junk yard). And to make matters worse they gave the singers costumes to match. Everyone is undermined by Reinhard Heinrich, Hans Schavernoch, and Harry Kupfer, the three who staged this thing. It's a real shame, too, because the singers sing their hearts out. (I particularly enjoyed Tomlinson's Wotan.) In general, I found this Barenboim Cycle disappointing. The first two installments ("Das Rheingold" and "Die Walkure") are much better than the "Siegfried" and "Gotterdammerung." My favorite Ring Cycle on DVD is the Boulez. The Levine Cycle has some good performances (Jessye Norman, Matti Salminen), but also some poor ones (Sigfried Jerusalem, Hildegard Behrens). Levine's Wagner is too light for my taste, but it has the attraction of being a traditional staging. Barenboim is more imposing. But for the best Cycle on DVD, I suggest the Boulez, by far.
Rating:
- Music Drama Marathon
I have listened for years to the orchestral suites taken from Wagner's operas. Thanks to Netflix I now get to watch the actual operas. Netflix has the Boulez and the Barenboim complete ring cycles plus one or two of the ring operas with Levine and the MET. The Boulez cycle has modern sets and costumes with toned down music. Barenboim's features modern sets/costumes with traditional music. I enjoyed both renditions, but I really enjoy the traditional Wagner music that is not toned down. Barenboim does a great job with the music. The performers and their singing are excellent in each and the production/sound qualities are very good. The DVDs also let you chop up this 14 hour event into bite size chunks. The music by Barenboim is on par with my Stokowski and Klemperer Wagner Orchestra Suites lps (in other words, tremendous). Barenboim has much experience with this style of Classical/Romanantic music from the 1800s including two complete Bruckner (who was a disciple of Wagner) symphony cycles.
I greatly appreciate the English subtitles. Otherwise, it would be like watching South Pacific or the Sound of Music in German or going to Mass (in Latin) in the 1960s I have not seen a traditional performance of the ring so I cannot compare/contrast traditional with modern. Being able to watch plus the subtitles is a tremendous improvement over cds (or in my case) lps. Wagner's music dramas offer great music and a very thought provoking story lines involving issues of mortality and morality.
Rating:
- Mesmerizing and superb!
The hovering approach of this Gotterdammenung has been extraordinarily conceived; there is no wasted little detail, and the DVD allows to watch and to observe much more than words can say.
The death of Siegfried is a real breakthrough. And its enormous significance trascends the limits of the stage. The merciless depiction of these personages has to do with the actual world; that may produce a disturbing sensation but that's the way it was.
All the cast is fabulopus. Tomlimsom displays a memorable character as Wotan; and Barenboim from the podium is extraordinary too.
If you really want to be immersed in the mythic roots of this engaging and captivating cosmovision, do not hesitate to acquire it.
Rating: - REJOICE!!!
Siegfried is now available formatted for North America. I wish Amazon would remove those reviews which state otherwise, because the situation has obviously changed. I hope no one will be put off buying this by fear of not being able to play it.
The Kupfer/Barenboim RING is, in my opinion, musically, dramatically and conceptually the best currently available. Bring on Gotterdammerung.
Rating: - AMAZING!
I haven't seen all of this DVD yet, but what I've viewed is superb. This will surely be the best complete RING available on DVD once GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG comes out in December. I have an all-region DVD player, so I'm not having any problems with regions or formats these days. Highly recommended!
- A TERRIBLE STAGINGSomebody had the bright idea of setting this in a junk yard (yes, a junk yard). And to make matters worse they gave the singers costumes to match. Everyone is undermined by Reinhard Heinrich, Hans Schavernoch, and Harry Kupfer, the three who staged this thing. It's a real shame, too, because the singers sing their hearts out. (I particularly enjoyed Tomlinson's Wotan.) In general, I found this Barenboim Cycle disappointing. The first two installments ("Das Rheingold" and "Die Walkure") are much better than the "Siegfried" and "Gotterdammerung." My favorite Ring Cycle on DVD is the Boulez. The Levine Cycle has some good performances (Jessye Norman, Matti Salminen), but also some poor ones (Sigfried Jerusalem, Hildegard Behrens). Levine's Wagner is too light for my taste, but it has the attraction of being a traditional staging. Barenboim is more imposing. But for the best Cycle on DVD, I suggest the Boulez, by far.
Rating:
- Music Drama MarathonI have listened for years to the orchestral suites taken from Wagner's operas. Thanks to Netflix I now get to watch the actual operas. Netflix has the Boulez and the Barenboim complete ring cycles plus one or two of the ring operas with Levine and the MET. The Boulez cycle has modern sets and costumes with toned down music. Barenboim's features modern sets/costumes with traditional music. I enjoyed both renditions, but I really enjoy the traditional Wagner music that is not toned down. Barenboim does a great job with the music. The performers and their singing are excellent in each and the production/sound qualities are very good. The DVDs also let you chop up this 14 hour event into bite size chunks. The music by Barenboim is on par with my Stokowski and Klemperer Wagner Orchestra Suites lps (in other words, tremendous). Barenboim has much experience with this style of Classical/Romanantic music from the 1800s including two complete Bruckner (who was a disciple of Wagner) symphony cycles.
I greatly appreciate the English subtitles. Otherwise, it would be like watching South Pacific or the Sound of Music in German or going to Mass (in Latin) in the 1960s I have not seen a traditional performance of the ring so I cannot compare/contrast traditional with modern. Being able to watch plus the subtitles is a tremendous improvement over cds (or in my case) lps. Wagner's music dramas offer great music and a very thought provoking story lines involving issues of mortality and morality.
Rating:
- Mesmerizing and superb! The hovering approach of this Gotterdammenung has been extraordinarily conceived; there is no wasted little detail, and the DVD allows to watch and to observe much more than words can say.
The death of Siegfried is a real breakthrough. And its enormous significance trascends the limits of the stage. The merciless depiction of these personages has to do with the actual world; that may produce a disturbing sensation but that's the way it was.
All the cast is fabulopus. Tomlimsom displays a memorable character as Wotan; and Barenboim from the podium is extraordinary too.
If you really want to be immersed in the mythic roots of this engaging and captivating cosmovision, do not hesitate to acquire it.
Rating:
- REJOICE!!!Siegfried is now available formatted for North America. I wish Amazon would remove those reviews which state otherwise, because the situation has obviously changed. I hope no one will be put off buying this by fear of not being able to play it.
The Kupfer/Barenboim RING is, in my opinion, musically, dramatically and conceptually the best currently available. Bring on Gotterdammerung.
Rating:
- AMAZING!I haven't seen all of this DVD yet, but what I've viewed is superb. This will surely be the best complete RING available on DVD once GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG comes out in December. I have an all-region DVD player, so I'm not having any problems with regions or formats these days. Highly recommended!