In what possibly was the first postwar performance of The Ring Cycle at Bayreuth one of the best Wagner casts available had been assembled. The conductor was Austrian Clemens Krauss. Ironically, what should have been the high point of Herr Krauss's career was also the last recording he ever made, as he died the following year at the age of 61.
That fact is sad enough on its own, but after you listen to the recording you'll have even more regrets. While it is true that opera is primarily about the music and the blending of voice and orchestra to create mood, emotion, and atmosphere, Krauss was able to utilize the emotions expressed through that commingling to propel the story.
The cast articulates justifications and motivations for actions, sometimes unclear in opera, because Krauss is able to get them to react and respond to an aria's emotional context. Alberich's treatment at the hands of the Rhinemaidens in Das Rheingold is so cruel that it offers an explanation for his anger and resentment that lead to his reign of terror as the rest of the cycle's action revolves around Alberich and his cruelty, providing a motivating force for his actions that can only strengthen the story.
In somewhat of an unprecedented move for the times, and even today it's quite rare, Krauss assigned the same cast, to the same roles for all four operas. Although the operas are not performed on the same day, the risk of fatigue for a principle performer still remains quite high. But judging by the quality of performances on this disc, he made the right decision.
There is a cohesion to the performance that might otherwise have been lacking. The performers are able to invest more energy into understanding the nature of the character they are playing and what they symbolize within the context of the cycle.
I must admit to being somewhat pleasantly surprised as to the technical quality of the performance. Remember, this is a live mono recording done in 1953 long before there was anything near the quality of sound equipment we are accustomed to using today. The only time there is a discernable drop in the quality is during some of the quieter orchestral movements.
It takes a special kind of voice to sing Wagner, and in fact, there is even a separate type of tenor voice that is specific to this music. The Heldentenor, or heroic tenor, differs from what most people are accustomed to, in its timbre and strength. While a voice that sings the role of Figaro, in the Barber of Seville is warm and expressive, the Heldentenor is strong and warlike: think Teutonic Knight as opposed to Renaissance swordsman and you'll get the general idea.
Article comments
1 - Mark Bellinghaus
Very interesting article, thank you, gypsyman! Just a little but important correction in your headline; correctly it is "Der Ring der Nibelungen!" As I am being judged all over for my typos in my comments, ever since I am on this wonderul blog-land, I am happy to return the favor. Since German is my FIRST language.
Interesting piece - unfortunately associate many people Wagner with Hitler! That is very unfortunate, as the Nazi's used his music for their propaganda films! Wagner was sponsored by King Ludwig II. the Bavarian (gay) King, "Micheal Jackson" of Germany and his time. Way before Hitler was even born. He built the Castle Neuschwanstein, which Disney copied for his "Cinderella-castle" in Disneyland! Wagner's music is heavy - but it has it's fans, too!It is unique and was tried to copied, not only by people like John Williams in recent times.
2 - gypsyman
Mark,
Thanks for the comments; are you sure about the title, because if you look at the CD cover it very clearly says DES, unless that's a really stylized "r". I'll do a quick Google search and see what I can turn up.
cheers
gypsyman
3 - gypsyman
Mark.
The Goethe Institute lists it as Des so I'll stick with that. It may be dialect, I know my sister-in-law is from the Rhine vally and she speaks some language unknown to most Germans, so it could be Wagner wrote in dialect. Remember he was writing before there was a unified Germany, all individual states, and as you point out it was for his Bavarian patron, good old Ludwig, so who knows what dialect they spoke then.
Interesting tidbit about Ludwig being gay, by the way, didn't know that.
gypsyman
4 - Mark Bellinghaus
Keine Kreditkarte?
Zahlen Sie einfach auf Rechnung!
Tiefpreise bei Büchern
Jeden Tag über 50% sparen*!
*gegenüber früheren Ladenpreisen oder Originalausgaben
Partner werden
Geld verdienen mit Ihrer Website! Beim Amazon-Partnerprogramm.
Loggen Sie sich ein, um per 1-Click® zu bestellen.
32 Neu ab EUR 12,00
9 gebraucht ab EUR 4,60
Möchten Sie verkaufen?
Just found this on Google - grammatical it is correct "der" but it is shown in both forms...when my parents refered to the records - they clearly used the word "der". Just FYI!
Cheers,
Mark
(Wir richten einen für Sie ein)
Meinen Wunschzettel ansehen
Der Ring der Nibelungen.
von Wolfgang Hohlbein, Torsten Dewi
5 - Mark Bellinghaus
I was born in Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatine - I literally was digging in the Rhine river for the treasure of the Nibelungen! As we all still believed in it! It was dumped into the Rhine...but by now it must be in the ocean, somewhere...lol!
6 - Mark Bellinghaus
Great suggestion for anyone who knows the name "Luciano Visconti" he did an amazing epos about Ludwig II. with Helmut Berger in the title role (he also was his lover). Visconti is besides Fellini one of the greatest in Italian movie history!The end of Ludwig II. was never clear - there are rumors about a murder - or was it suicide?! Just like Marilyn Monroe! But the evidence points to murder. He was most likely drowned. The Starnberger See (like) is a wonderful lake outside Munich.
You are welcome to also visit my Blog - I am talking to a witness right now...later, Mark
7 - nugget
great article gypsy.
8 - Bliffle
Excellent article! Thanks.
9 - El Bicho
Good, thorough write-up. I've always been curious about this opera.
"And all because the absolute power offered by the Ring forged from gold stolen by a wretched dwarf also holds a deadly curse..."
How do you say, "My Precious" in German?
point of clarification, Elmer sings "Kill The Wabbit."
10 - Mark Bellinghaus
To#9 El Bilcho:
The closest translation would be: "Mein Liebchen".
11 - Stephen V Funk
Nice article. I'm partial to the Solti/DECCA Ring Cycle but it's all good. Also the Levine/Met DVDs are the next best thing to being there.
12 - Howard Brown
"Des oder Der?" I am not a native speaker, but working back from the English translation -- The Ring of the Nibelungs -- means we need the genitive case in German to express possession: it's the Nibelungs' ring. Plural. I believe the plural of Nibelung in German would be Nibelungen (duh!) -- or 'die' Nibelungen. And the genitive form of 'die' is 'der.'
So.. Der we are. Der Ring Der Nibelungen. Now, if the title were to mean Alberich's ring, wouldn't it be "Der Ring Des Nibelung?" Alberich is one Nibelung among a tribe of Nibelungs -- or Nibelungen.
On the other hand, the German of 1870 might not have been as grammatically uniform as it became by the turn of the century, which leaves us with the title as published: "Der Ring Des Nibelungen."
I can only add a firm, New York "go figure!"
As for this recording of "Der Ring" -- I grabbed it as soon as it re-emerged on Opera d'Oro, and it is a wonder, well worth getting on it's own, and a supurb compliment to the high-priced spreads.
Next up for me: the completion of the Keilberth/Bayreuth Ring of 1955, in stereo via a pioneering Decca team. The Ring that Culshaw surpressed. The two available dramas -- Die Walkure and Siegried -- add a new dimension to the what we have learned about the Rings of the Fabulous Fifties.
13 - Jerzy (from English Wikipedia)
The grammar and translation of the title is correctly discussed here
under heading 2, "Das/Der".