Wagner: Die Walkure

[robertc88]

Anyone down for this one? Please let us know the quality of the BD if you decide to take the plunge. Thanks!

[Russell_L]

Which one? There are two available on BD (at least one's available now and another will be available very soon). I've got the first one (with Simon Rattle conducting) and frankly wouldn't recommend it to first-time opera viewers, as the production is pretty spare and Euro-modern in the worst sense. But reportedly even worse is the newest one, reviewed here:

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/37721...r-die-walkure/

From a conducting and singing standpoint, the Rattle BD is pretty good, actually (though the tenor--a major part--is the weakest), but they aren't good enough to compensate for the distracting visuals. PQ and AQ are fine as well.

[Yeha-Noha]

Now there's a third one to consider see PrestoClassical and Trailer on You Tube.

While listening to and watching the trailer on You Tube, I was impressed. It is refreshingly different. The balance between the orchestra and singers was excellent. The orchestra sounded full, rich, and truly Wagnarian IMO conducted by Zubin Mehta. I would expect the audio to be even more spectacular on the BD in lossless dts-HD MA 7.1. You can watch other trailers from the Ring Cycle at this site too.

I'll definitely be adding this one to my BD opera collection.

[Russell_L]

Originally Posted by rwojtalewicz

Now there's a third one to consider see PrestoClassical and Trailer on You Tube.

While listening to and watching the trailer on You Tube, I was impressed. It is refreshingly different. The balance between the orchestra and singers was excellent. The orchestra sounded full, rich, and truly Wagnarian IMO conducted by Zubin Mehta. I would expect the audio to be even more spectacular on the BD in lossless dts-HD MA 7.1. You can watch other trailers from the Ring Cycle at this site too.

I'll definitely be adding this one to my BD opera collection.

Got this one last month. (Ordered it from MDT in the UK, but it's being released domestically in the US tomorrow.) The production is over the top, exciting, and innovative (sort of "Cirque du Soleil Meets Wagner"), and the singing is good as well. Conducting is fine, too. (I've always liked Mehta as an opera conductor.) I've only had time to sample it here and there, but the visuals are spectacular, as is the sound quality. Much, much more interesting than the Rattle version on BD.

[Yeha-Noha]

Thanks Russell for your insights regarding this new release.

I just may hold off awhile. I hope Amazon and others offer this entire Ring Cycle in a few months as a box set for less than it would cost buying each part separately. I really would like to have this Ring Cycle in its entirety.

[Penglynns]

Is there a Ring cycle available on Blu that is truer to the original? Not all modernized or set in 1940s Nazi Germany or on a 1960 cruise ship or in outer space? If not Blu, which DVD versions do you like?

[Russell_L]

Originally Posted by Penglynns

Is there a Ring cycle available on Blu that is truer to the original? Not all modernized or set in 1940s Nazi Germany or on a 1960 cruise ship or in outer space? If not Blu, which DVD versions do you like?

I share your sentiments, and unfortunately there's no version of the Ring cycle on Blu that's in anything resembling a 'traditional' staging. Even on DVD, almost all have some form of contemporary or futuristic concept, with varying degrees of success. (The recent DVD of the 'Ring' from Copenhagen has received some great reviews--I'd love to have it on Blu.) I haven't seen them all, but the most traditional 'Ring' on DVD is from the Met (James Levine conducting). It's staged pretty much in the old-fashioned way, and it works very well. It was done about 20 years ago, and while the singing and conducting are very good indeed, the PQ (4:3) is poor by today's standards. (I didn't think it looked that good even back thenm when I had it on LD.)

[Penglynns]

Originally Posted by Russell_L

I share your sentiments, and unfortunately there's no version of the Ring cycle on Blu that's in anything resembling a 'traditional' staging. Even on DVD, almost all have some form of contemporary or futuristic concept, with varying degrees of success. (The recent DVD of the 'Ring' from Copenhagen has received some great reviews--I'd love to have it on Blu.) I haven't seen them all, but the most traditional 'Ring' on DVD is from the Met (James Levine conducting). It's staged pretty much in the old-fashioned way, and it works very well. It was done about 20 years ago, and while the singing and conducting are very good indeed, the PQ (4:3) is poor by today's standards. (I didn't think it looked that good even back thenm when I had it on LD.)

And this is why I do not often go to operas in spite of being a horn player and huge classical music fan. It isn't that I don't enjoy opera, it is that I don't want to pay good money to sit through a crazy director's interpretation of an opera, I want to see the original.

You don't add electric guitars to Beethoven, so for God's sake stop staging Puccini in post-apocolyptic 21st century space.

[Yeha-Noha]

Originally Posted by Penglynns

And this is why I do not often go to operas in spite of being a horn player and huge classical music fan. It isn't that I don't enjoy opera, it is that I don't want to pay good money to sit through a crazy director's interpretation of an opera, I want to see the original.

You don't add electric guitars to Beethoven, so for God's sake stop staging Puccini in post-apocolyptic 21st century space.

It's the trend now, and that's the way it is in performing arts. Each generation has it's own style of interpretation of the staged production of an opera. What's contemporary today will be old-fashioned tomorrow. However, you'll find that the music is still the same. It's still Wagner. It'll still have you singing to yourself the Ride of the Valkyries in the shower or whistling out the tune while you take a walk.

Take people who buy a CD or DVD-Audio recording without the video, they don't get to see the the stage nor the singers but can still enjoy the singing and the music.

I think it's rather refreshing to have these new stage productions though.

I have the MET Opera Ring Cycle, James Levine conductor, with the late Hildegard Behrens as Brünnhilde in Die Walküre. Like Russell said it's staged in the traditional style. The 4:3 PQ is 2.5/5.0, DTS 5.1 AQ 4.0/5.0, performance 4.5/5.0. I rarely watch it anymore after getting into HT and Blu-ray. If I do, I turn off the backlight on my LCD screen. The video is that bad. It's a shame because the props and staging are quite good. Behrens gives an excellent performance as Brünnhilde in Die Walküre and Siegfried but not so much so in Götterdämmerung. But it gets old after a while.

Admittedly, I haven't yet seen the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, Valencia, 2008 production of Die Walküre on Blu-ray. I have it on order from Amazon and can't wait for it to arrive. However, the trailers that I have heard on You Tube tell me that the performance, singing, music, and stage production are superior to that of the MET Opera Die Walküre. I'm ready for a new Ring Cycle. This one is it for me.

You know if the stage production turns you off, you can do what I do with the MET Ring Cycle. Turn off your TV and enjoy the music. In this case it's lossless dts:HD MA 7.1 on the new BD release.

[Liltawen]

This Walkure was broadcast last summer on Siemans 'Live from Bayreuth'. They've been doing one each summer for the past few years.Hopefully these others will become available as well. (Go to the Bayreuth Festival web-site for more info and live-streaming http://www.bayreuther-festspiele.de/...glish_156.html)
Act 1 was set in a factory room with high windows in back and an enormous telephone pole that had crashed through the stage right side-rather 'Eurotrash' if you know what I mean.'Spring' was quite impressive with an enormous moon seen through the rear window. Reminded me of the centennial set really.
Act 2 was a rather dark and grubby landscape-kind of interesting and mysterious.
Act 3 was the most impressive-a great stone quarry with a shelf in back( this can be seen in the picture). Magic Fire was amazing.
The singing was excellent which is one of the reasons to get this version (Siemans didn't broadcast the entire cycle so I don't know if it was filmed-last year was the last performances of this version).
Siemans also did hour long intermission features, wandering through-out the theatre,interviewing various people. If these are included as 'extras' I think that's another reason to get it-they were fasinating.

It is a 'modern' style production but very oddly conservative. Very Bayreuth: solidly done for these days-when being 'flighty' seems to rule-even at the Met.
Video quality was excellent on my computer screen so quality should be good and like I said-the sound was amazing.

Right now my favorite is Valencia-but I liked this when I streamed it.

[poland626]

I think the met is showing this tomorrow. this or something in the ring trilogy. Now, do I go to that, a one time showing that 6 hours long, or get the blu ray? I mean, the MET is the best, but IDK with that review.....