CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen / Levine, Metropolitan Opera (Complete Ring Cycle)

starring: Siegfried Jerusalem, Hildegard Behrens, James Morris (IX), Heinz Zednik, Birgitta Svendén
directed by: Brian Large

Release Date November 12, 2002
I RECOMMENDING THIS EDITION OF WAGNER'S MUSIC -Wagner: Complete Operas


Label: Membran / Documents Catalog #: 223053
Composer: Richard Wagner
Performer: Franz Klarwein, Luise Willer, Viorica Ursuleac, Georg Hann, Hans Hotter,
Karl Ostertag, August Seider, Karl Paul, Margarete Bäumer, Marianne Schech,
Otto von Rohr, Benno Kusche, Eleanor Steber, Josef Greindl, Hans Braun,
Hermann Uhde, Astrid Varnay, Wolfgang Windgassen, Bodo Brinkmann, Tiny Peters,
Ortrun Wenkel, Wolfgang Neumann, Carla Pohl, Zlatomira Nikolova, Frode Olsen,
Gabriele Maria Ronge, Edward Cook, Malcolm Smith, John Wegner, Simon Yang,
Wilja Ernst-Mosuraitis, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
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Wagner - Das Rheingold / Levine, Morris, Jerusalem, Ludwig, Metropolitan Opera (Levine Ring Cycle Part 1)

starring: James Morris (IX), Siegfried Jerusalem, Ekkehard Wlaschiha, Christa Ludwig, MariAnne Häggander
directed by: Brian Large

Release Date November 12, 2002
Das Rheingold is my favorite of all of Wagner's Ring. An opera such as this (especially an opera by Wagner in general) is not meant to be experienced by DVD alone. If one watches this, one has to keep in mind the limits of stage filming and recording. The echo of the singers' voices can be heard a few times, and in some cases they sound as if they're way off into the distance even if they're just barely off of the stage, due to limits of microphones. But I cannot judge them or blame them for this: This was only 1990, recent yet at the same time old for sound quality.

Due to its inferior recording (though it was probably the best available at the time), none of the singers' incredible voices were given justice. Only sometimes did some singers ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
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Wagner - Siegfried / Siegfried Jerusalem, John Tomlinson, Anne Evans, Graham Clarke, Daniel Barenboim, Bayreuth Opera

starring: Siegfried Jerusalem, Graham Clarke (II), John Tomlinson, Günter von Kannen, Philip Kang
directed by: Horant H. Hohlfeld

Release Date September 12, 2006
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 ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

Wagner - Gotterdammerung

starring: Daniel Barenboim, Siegfried Jerusalem, Anne Evans, Waltraud Meier, Bodo Brinkmann
directed by: Harry Kupfer

Release Date January 09, 2007
Having seen numerous Ring Cycles, live and on video, this set of performances is really one of the best and most satisfying. The singers are superb. The recorded sound could be better, but no real quibbles. Tomlinson and Evans as Wotan and Brunnhilde are magnificent.

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

Wagner - Siegfried / Levine, Jerusalem, Behrens, Morris, Metropolitan Opera (Levine Ring Cycle Part 3)

starring: Siegfried Jerusalem, Hildegard Behrens, James Morris (IX), Heinz Zednik, Birgitta Svendén
directed by: Brian Large

Release Date November 12, 2002
If you are interested in seeing this by all means buy it and forget those yahoos with their negative reviews. I have the first three operas of the Ring Cycle and hesitated on buying the third because of some of the opinions stated here but it is wonderful. And I will buy the fourth. I watch it on my 37" HDTV and feel like I'm sitting in the first row of the Met and enjoy them all immensely. So a big raspberry to those cynical reviewers and a big hand for Levine and company. You give so much joy.