Thielemann’s ‘Ring’ on disc.
Wagner specialist conductor Christian Thielemann’s reading of the complete Ring Cycle at the Wiener Staatsoper in 2011 was recognised as one of the greatest Wagnerian events of recent times. On August 2nd, Deutsche Grammophon releases a recording of this performance as a boxed set of 14 CDs of the four Ring operas and 2 DVDs featuring four introductory films to each opera.
“Benefitting from the unique acoustical qualities of the Staatsoper, this recording is superior in terms of basic sound quality to virtually every other Ring recorded during staged performances…”
Opera Today (31.5.13)
A cast of leading Wagnerian soloists is joined by the Chorus and Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera for the recordings made live by ORF, capturing the electricity of the live performances in the acclaimed acoustic of the Weiner Staatsoper.
The 4 documentary films were directed by producer Eric Schulz, complementing the audio recordings, providing an introduction, commentary and analysis by experts, including Christian Thielemann.
The recording entered the POP charts earlier this year in Austria entering at #44, Germany, entering the pop charts at #59 and the classical chart at #1, and the UK, where it entered the specialist classical charts at #13.
The accompanying booklet contains synopses in German, English and French and libretti in German and English.
Operas and cast:
- Das Rheingold:
Albert Dohmen (Wotan), Markus Eiche (Donner), Herbert Lippert (Froh), Adrian Eröd (Loge), Janina Baechle (Fricka), Alexandra Reinprecht (Freia), Anna Larsson (Erda), Tomasz Konieczny (Alberich), Wolfgang Schmidt (Mime)
- Die Walküre:
Christopher Ventris (Siegmund), Eric Halfvarson (Hunding), Albert Dohmen (Wotan), Waltraud Meier (Sieglinde), Katarina Dalayman (Brünnhilde), Janina Baechle (Fricka)
- Siegfried:
Stephen Gould (Siegfried), Linda Watson (Brünnhilde), Albert Dohmen (Der Wanderer), Tomasz Konieczny (Alberich), Anna Larsson (Erda), Wolfgang Schmidt (Mime), Ain Anger (Fafner) und Chen Reiss (Stimme des Waldvogels)
- Götterdämmerung:
Stephen Gould (Siegfried), Markus Eiche (Gunther), Eric Halfvarson (Hagen), Linda Watson (Brünnhilde) Caroline Wenborne (Gutrune), Janina Baechle (Waltraute)
