This 1953 first of two Bayreuth Ring cycles, led by Joseph Keilberth, marked the first time Hans Hotter sang all three Wotans; he is in stupendous form. Also for the first time at Bayreuth, Martha Moedl sings Bruennhilde; she too is at her finest. This was also the first year Wolfgang Windgassen sang Siegfried, a role he owned for at least the next 15 years. This cycle (and the later one under Clemens Krauss) established the major figures for the next 5 years. No more satisfactory Ring cast has been assembled since, indeed none that can touch it. This release is a fitting tribute to its lasting greatness.
A**E
A truly great performance from Bayreuth's golden age - with one small problem
This is a superb Ring cycle. While not in stereo like the 1955 cycle released by Testament, it is marginally better sung. Hans Hotter in particular is in much better voice than he was two years later and I prefer Martha Mödl's Brünnhilde to Astrid Varnay's. Ramon Vinay and Regina Resnik are not my favorite Siegmund and Sieglinde pair, but that's about the only criticism I can make about this fabulous performance. The sound is excellent mono, with some distortion in some loud portions, especially in the bass tubas. I would call this an absolutely necessary addition to any serious Wagner collection. One caution, however: The first act of Siegfried is not by Keilberth; it is from the better known Krauss Ring of 1953. Every other release that I'm aware of that claims to have the Keilberth Siegfried from 1953 substitutes the Krauss first act. This substitution takes nothing away from the greatness of this set, since the three roles in the first act were sung by the same singers in both Keilberth and Krauss cycles that year, but it should be pointed out in any honest review.
R**N
but if there's anyone who's been misled by the view that Keilberth was somehow inferior to the other great conductors of "New Ba
Listening to this RING and the other 1953 recording conducted by Clemens Krauss, I'm puzzled as to why Keilberth was once criticized as a burden on talented singers (in OPERA ON RECORDS, the first major guide to the subject published). The other reviewers have stated the case for this cycle's excellence, so I won't add anything on that point, but if there's anyone who's been misled by the view that Keilberth was somehow inferior to the other great conductors of "New Bayreuth", I'd suggest he buy this set so as to hear what a great Wagnerian Keilberth was.
P**S
The Great Hans Hotter. Otherwise, spotty.
Of the many live Bayreuth Ring performances, this ranks highly. Sound is good 50s mono and the conducting and shape of the whole is wonderful. I quibble about some of the singers. Martha Modl is indeed an acquired taste, something akin to a Monkey Brain souffle. Worst Sieglinde and Sigmund EVER (Resnik and Vinay) but aside from that, this great document of Hans Hotter's Wotan is worth all the pain inflicted by others. A very important and splendid post-War performance.
P**L
Five Stars
GREAT Ring
G**A
It's the second cycle from 1953 (the other one conducted by Clemens Krauss). A must for any wagnerian!
A treasure!
J**N
Krauss Act One Siegfried
Regarding the substitution of the Krauss Siegfried Act One, this has been true of every release of the Keilberth Ring except the very first on Allegro LPs when it was erroneously listed as the Dresden State Opera under Fritz Schreiber. I have the Allegro Royale set and can verify to the difference.
A**T
Historically interesting, but . . .
It's good to have this, though the sound does little justice to Wagner. (I suppose it's as good as you get from 1950s vinyl mono. Still, with Solti's any many other superb recordings available at a reasonable place, this is only for the Wagnerite who must have them all.
J**3
Excellent but the recording is quirky
I'm very happy to have this recording available. While I own many mono recordings, there's something off on this one, as the voices are pushed to the left and something else is going on in the right channel. My guess is that it's something that's designed to make mono recordings sound less mono, but the overall effect is unpleasant and not truthful to the recording. People who buy these sets tend to be purists, and we all know that many of the great Bayreuth recordings were mono, so no need to "fix" that.Again, I'm very happy to own this set and recommend it strongly for the reasons already stated by others; we would kill to have artists of this quality available today.
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