Newly remastered onto 12 CD's and in wonderful, refreshed sound for this 2013 release in honor of Wagner's 200th birthday, this cycle, recorded live in Bayreuth during 1966 and 1967, remains one of the greatest "Rings" on record. Legendary singers Theo Adam as Wotan, James King as Siegmund, Leonie Rysanek as Sieglinde, Thomas Stewart as Gunther, Wolfgang Windgassen as Siegfried, and Birgit Nilsson as Brühnnhilde lead an outstanding cast in this fast-moving and dramatic reading led by expert conductor Karl Böhm.
"Musikalisch dichte, klanglich prächtig ausbalancierte und das Primat der Sänger wahrende Aufnahme, deren Schönheit aus der Gesamtwirkung resultiert…Im Gesamteindruck setzt diese Aufnahme große Wagner-Tradition mit großer Bestimmtheit und Überzeugungskraft fort." ~Hermes Opernlexikon
Back in the glory days of early digital recordings, Ring cycles were being released fast and furiously. Old Rings were reissued with remastered sound – Solti's on Decca, Böhm's on Philips, and Furtwängler's on EMI – and new Rings were issued with digital sound – Levine's on Deutsche Grammophon, Barenboim's on Teldec, and Haitink's on EMI. Almost 20 years later, EMI re-released Haitink's Ring as a single 14-disc set with full cast lists, notes, and plot summaries, but without librettos.
Five CDs of otherworldly beauty and power that revolutionized opera. These 19th-century masterworks include selections and scenes from Der Ring des Nibelungen, Tristan und Isolde, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Parsifal. Performances by Birgit Nilsson, Leonie Rysanek, Waltraud Meier, Wolfgang Windgassen, Peter Hofmann, Theo Adam, Matti Salminen with Georg Solti, James Levine and others.
Limited edition 100 CD box set on the premiere classical label Deutsch Grammophon. Subtitled from Gregorian Chant to Gorecki. For some it will be the ultimate reference tool. For others a big place to start on something they always wanted to know about. Either way, the idea is to present a comprehensive history of Classical Music from its origins to the present day, covering all periods, including all major composers.