Rating: 
Summary: Have this Ring on video tape
Review: This Walkure is well done and some critis may differ. It is pleasing from a visual stance as the sets do the work justice. I am particularly fond of the first and last acts. Act two on ocassion,without any prejudice to the vocalist's. The singing in total is first rate throughout. What a team in Act 1 Norman Lakes & Mohl. Act II Wotan(Morris)giving into Fricka's demands. The ride of the Valkuries is uplifting and well done. Brunhilde sheilds Seiglinda incurring the wrath of Wotan for carring out his secret wish and is punished with eternal sleep until a hero worthy wakes her. Overall the production is superb in both aural and in the visual sense. Like many other's DGG has done this production does a great justice. Bravo Levine, Bravo to the Artist and to all the factors having a hand in this prodution. very well done. Hopefully DGG will pull out all the stops and bring the complete Ring out on DVD as they did on VHS. This would be someting to look forward to. I did watch it live when PBS broad cast it in the late 80's.
Rating: 
Summary: Mediocre viewing and listening experience
Review: This Walkure production has drawbacks both musically and visually. While James Morris has the right size of voice for Wotan, his range of tone colour is seriously limited. As a result, his Wotan comes across as rather one-dimensional. Hildegard Behrens certainly looks the part of the warrior maiden. Unfortunately, her voice is worn and her lower register is virtually non-existent. Jessye Norman sings with a radiant tone, yet both she and her partner, Gary Lakes, are just not convincing at all on the stage for these roles. The other smaller parts are just adequately taken. The Met orchestra is on top form under the sure hand of James Levine. However, Levine's interpretation is not very memorable. The production is a rather traditional one and while it does not offer anything outrageous, it is playing a bit too safe. Some of the stage direction is in fact rather unimaginative and constricted. On the whole, just a mediocre viewing and listening experience.
Rating:
Summary: Not at all enjoyable
Review: This, I'm afraid, isn't good enough to convert people to Wagnerian drama. While the traditional staging has its merits (such that viewers readily understand the essence of the polot), both the stage direction and singing fall rather short of expectations, and such an impression cannot be rescued by the fine performance of the Met orchestra. This is a performance that is better sampled through audio recording than via DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: Perfect? heavens no... but a valuable contribution
Review: Well, this is the kind of DVD that will inspire hot passions, either pro or con. The legendary vocalists that used to take on these roles are no longer singing, and many of the singers on this disc are a clear step below them. Even some of the brightest stars (Ludwig, for example) are past their prime. Still, do those here make a convincing production? In my opinion, yes. Behrens, for example, is good at using her instument to good effect, and certainly brings other positives to the role... coming off as an active young woman rather than a large, static matron. Morris is commanding in the role of Wotan. The others are good, if not overwhelming. What will probably be the most important factor for casual opera viewers (and particularly to newcomers) is that the staging is visually gripping and comprehensible. Some more experienced viewers have savaged the production as being too simple, traditional or "easy." This is not may opinion. To me, many of the visual daring "concept" productions are perhaps interesting once, but become cliche immediately thereafter -- their "newness" is their only selling point, and once its no longer new, well.... The Met's Walkure provides a world where magic can take place, focuses on mythic elements, and lets the undercurrents of subtext remain undercurrents. Is this the only approach? No, and certainly some more "modern" productions help bring out important elements of the story. But for those looking to jump into Wagner for the first time, the Met's production should make the plunge easier.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect? heavens no... but a valuable contribution
Review: Well, this is the kind of DVD that will inspire hot passions, either pro or con. The legendary vocalists that used to take on these roles are no longer singing, and many of the singers on this disc are a clear step below them. Even some of the brightest stars (Ludwig, for example) are past their prime. Still, do those here make a convincing production? In my opinion, yes. Behrens, for example, is good at using her instument to good effect, and certainly brings other positives to the role... coming off as an active young woman rather than a large, static matron. Morris is commanding in the role of Wotan. The others are good, if not overwhelming. What will probably be the most important factor for casual opera viewers (and particularly to newcomers) is that the staging is visually gripping and comprehensible. Some more experienced viewers have savaged the production as being too simple, traditional or "easy." This is not may opinion. To me, many of the visual daring "concept" productions are perhaps interesting once, but become cliche immediately thereafter -- their "newness" is their only selling point, and once its no longer new, well.... The Met's Walkure provides a world where magic can take place, focuses on mythic elements, and lets the undercurrents of subtext remain undercurrents. Is this the only approach? No, and certainly some more "modern" productions help bring out important elements of the story. But for those looking to jump into Wagner for the first time, the Met's production should make the plunge easier.
Rating:
Summary: spectacular !
Review: When opera moves me to tears, it truly is grand, and the ending of this version is soul-stirring and thoroughly captivating.
The highlight of this fabulous production for me is James Morris' Wotan. It's a riveting, emotional performance, with vocal passages of pure gold.
Act 3, Scene 3, the parting of Wotan and Brunhilde, magnificently played by Hildegard Behrens..."Farewell, my brave and splendid child"...so tender and passionate, so full of beauty, the music soars and takes my heart with it. Another performance of power and presence is Jessye Norman's Sieglinde, Christa Ludwig is perfect as Fricka, and James Levine keeps it all together masterfully.
Just over 4 hours long, this tape set has a booklet with an excellent synopsis, and the sets (the final fire effect is great), lighting, costumes and direction are wonderful, but it's James Morris that makes it a triumph, and one to enjoy again and again.
Rating: 
Summary: Visual art and music drama
Review: When Richard Wagner conceived his form of opera/drama he had in mind the "total art work" or gusumptkuntswerk, music art in all of its elements including visual. One of the greatest problems I had as a youngster trying to develope an appreciation for opera with my visual esthtics conditioned by cinema was the sad fact that so many fine opera singers do NOT look their parts visually and try as traditionalists might this is today important. This performance of Wagner's second Ring drama has many bright points and a few weaknesses, as a performance it is certainly worthy, but visually I find it unforgivably crippled by both Jessie Norman and Gary Lakes. I'm sorry to say this, but they just don't look their parts and it hurts the entire performance. Jessie Norman creates one of the finest Sieglindes since Regina Crespin in audio, but visually it just doesn't work. Gary Lakes is the weakest Siegmund I've heard on records vocally and worse yet visually. Still James Morris does a fine Wotan and the rest is visually and vocally well worth listening to.
|
