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Post by wahnfried on Oct 12, 2012 22:43:35 GMT
Opera needs singer and of course conductors. Like the art of singing the way of conducting changes a lot. Pathos and bright, full sound or a light, more analytical interpretation or a mixture of both? Like the way of singing the changes has a lot to do with the changes in society in the last century. From Nikisch till today many conductors were recorded so that we can really judge.
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Post by wahnfried on Oct 12, 2012 22:58:33 GMT
Maybe there is one conductor who will always be connected with Wagner: Wilhelm Furtwängler. Furtwängler or Fu as he was named was really a one of his own. His kind of conducting was so specific that he rather had no rivals or successors. Conducting meant always for him rather a philosopical task, creating a new world and concerning Wagner especially giving life again to the myth. His Tristan (EMI) is still the greatest recording of this opera (though many would prefer Carlos Kleiber), his two Ring cycles from Italy are still much admired. Same with his studio recording of "Valkyrie". There are excerpts of Lohengrin from 1936, from the "Ring" from 1937 and 1938, a live Tannhäuser from the Vienna State Opera, a "reduced" Tristan (only II. and III. act) from 1948 and a Meistersinger from Bayreuth shortly before the end of WWII. That is unfortunately all except a lot of arias and preludes from Wagner. No (alas) Parsifal or Holländer. www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbZRC4JnfMA |
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Post by wahnfried on Oct 12, 2012 23:01:52 GMT
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Post by wahnfried on Oct 13, 2012 23:03:23 GMT
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Post by Wanderer on Oct 14, 2012 0:00:36 GMT
Being a newcomer to the world of classical music, I cannot boast much insight into the art of conducting (or even the playing of musical instruments, for that matter!). On a primitive level, though, just watching an orchestra perform, one has a sense that somebody - the conductor - is pulling all of the strings, guiding the players and making the music come out right. Wagner himself, I know, did a lot of conducting during his life - both of his own work and that of others (especially Beethoven, I think). He also wrote about conducting and, so I am told, is considered an authority on conducting even today.
Furtwangler is described as one of the greatest Wagner conductors; some say he is the best. There are videos of him conducting on Youtube, and they are quite something to watch; just viewing him at work, you get a sense of someone with very strong charisma and energy. (Mind you, is it possible he is over-acting for the camera, a bit like shepherds do when rounding up sheep with their dogs on the telly? I dunno!...). I have in my possession a recording of Gotterdammerung conducted by Furtwangler. Unfortunately there is a lot of background noise (coughing etc.). Some listeners seems to able to mentally "screen out" these distractions, but for me it was too much. Do you have any recommendations for any good quality, "clear" Furtwangler recordings available on CD? The problem is understandable, I suppose; with recordings going back to the 50s or earlier, it is inevitable that the audio quality is different.
Talking of Wagner conductors...I read an interview with Daniel Barenboim recently in which he said he likes to keep his orchestras on their toes by making variations each time they perform. That must really put the players on edge, I would imagine! Barenboim seems to be a good conductor. So is James Levine, although somehow I've got the feeling I prefer Barenboim's music, although I'm not sure if I'd be able to articulately justify that opinion.
Georg Solti has been in the news a bit lately because this year is his 100th anniversary (although he died in 1997). From what I have heard (namely, highlights from The Ring and Tannhauser) he impresses me a lot. The versions of The Ring by Janowski and Karajan are also v. good, although (based only on highlights) I give the edge to Solti.
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Post by wahnfried on Oct 14, 2012 20:21:55 GMT
Well, again a lot to answer. :-)
Furtwängler wasn't overacting, I'm sure. This was absolutely his kind of conducting, very rare, strange and arguable. He never gave a proper signal to start during a performance. And members of the Berlin Philharmonics once asked how they knew when to start answer: "When his right hand reaches the third button of his vest." But that provides his conducting with a floating quality. He was no time beater but a creator. He creates music anew in the very moment he was conducting. This is absolutely unique and so great. But I understand your problems with the technically quality. It never bothers me beeing brought up :-) with all in a technical sense horrible live performances of Callas. So I'm really used to it.
Maybe you should start with the EMI excerpts of Wagnerian ouvertures and so on made in studio. And of course with the Tristan and the Valkyrie both made also in a studio. They are in good mono quality without any coughs and other disturbing noises. And quite a bargain today.
I heard Barenboim live with the Ring, Tristan and Lohengrin and he never convinced me totally. But he is a ood conductor and better than most of his contemporaries. Levine I just heard once live with Mahlers "Lied von der Erde" and it was great. And one of my treasure is a live performance from New York of Parsifal with Meier, Jerusalem, Moll, Weikl, Mazzura (what a cast!). Very, very slow but a revelation. Far better than the officiel DGG production with Domingo and Norman. His Ring wich is in my shelve I had to hear again, but I remember it as very well.
As I wrote in another thread I was never an admirer of Solti. Same with Karajan. During his DGG time he never let his emotions run. It was always very calculated, trying to provide the audience with an "orgy" of beautiful sound. And no more. Janowski, I must admit, I never heard. But his Wagner concert in Hamburg was wonderful. So he maybe a wonderful conductor for the Ring. But the singers... (By the way the singers in Karajans Ring. Not the best quality to say the least.)
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Post by wahnfried on Oct 14, 2012 21:04:10 GMT
By the way there is a short excerpt of Richard Wagner conducting his own Tristan. I couldn't fnd it on youtube. And it reveals nothing for my understanding. The technical quality is of course far beyond... I mean it was produced before 1883!!! But a lot of people who experienced him conducting wrote about his marvellous productions.
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Post by Wanderer on Oct 15, 2012 23:25:50 GMT
I would love to hear the sound of Wagner conducting something! Had a search on Youtube as well, but like you, I couldn't find anything. Tonight I watched Daniel Barenboim conducting Beethoven's 9th Symphony. At the end, as (I think) an unscheduled treat, he added in the overture to Tristan und Isolde, which made me happy  . He is very interesting to watch while he is conducting. The facial expressions, arm and hand movements, gestures...you could see he's an older man, and was obviously sweating, but he looked like he was loving every minute of it, and was clearly very, very involved. I have a Parsifal DVD featuring all of the singers you mentioned seeing in New York; it was performed at the Met and conducted by James Levine. It is a great production. Meier is awesome. Not so sure about Siegfried Jerusalem as Parsifal though...he is the only Parsifal I've seen, but I had this gut feeling that there might be better Parsifals out there. |
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Post by wahnfried on Oct 16, 2012 19:24:19 GMT
Even if you would find Wagners own recording of Tristan parts you won't hear much of his art of conducting. It is in the true sense of the word too far away.
Jerusalem wasn't the best Parsifal ever, no doubt. But I always liked his voice and his appearance on stage. And he was much better than Ventris who I saw in Bayreuth two years ago. Or Voght.
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Post by wahnfried on Oct 22, 2012 21:28:52 GMT
In 1947 Furtwängler performed Tristan and Isolde in Berlin. Only act II and III survived. But here's the incredible duet with Erna Schlüter and Ludwig Suthaus. www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJtAbgvykTMI must admit I like this version more than the legendary studio production with Flagstad and Suthaus just because Furtwängler was normally better live on stage. Here he is driving himself and the singers to pure ecstasy. |
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. He is very interesting to watch while he is conducting. The facial expressions, arm and hand movements, gestures...you could see he's an older man, and was obviously sweating, but he looked like he was loving every minute of it, and was clearly very, very involved.