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Wagner Without Words / George Szell, Cleveland Orchestra


Release Date: 07/01/1991 
Label:  Cbs Masterworks Catalog #: 46286   Spars Code: AAD 
Composer:  Richard Wagner
Conductor:  George Szell
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Cleveland Orchestra
Number of Discs: 1 
Recorded in: Stereo 
Length: 1 Hours 16 Mins. 

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Works on This Recording

1.
Das Rheingold: Entrance of the Gods into Valhalla by Richard Wagner
Conductor:  George Szell
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Cleveland Orchestra
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1854; Germany 
 Date of Recording: 1968 
Venue:  Severance Hall, Cleveland 
Length: 6 Minutes 33 Secs. 
2.
Die Walküre: Ride of the Valkyries by Richard Wagner
Conductor:  George Szell
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Cleveland Orchestra
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1856; Germany 
 Date of Recording: 1968 
Venue:  Severance Hall, Cleveland 
Length: 5 Minutes 23 Secs. 
3.
Die Walküre: Magic Fire Music by Richard Wagner
Conductor:  George Szell
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Cleveland Orchestra
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1856; Germany 
 Date of Recording: 1968 
Venue:  Severance Hall, Cleveland 
Length: 4 Minutes 41 Secs. 
4.
Siegfried: Forest Murmurs [Instrumental] by Richard Wagner
Conductor:  George Szell
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Cleveland Orchestra
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1871; Germany 
 Date of Recording: 1968 
Venue:  Severance Hall, Cleveland 
Length: 6 Minutes 53 Secs. 
5.
Götterdämmerung: Dawn and Siegfried's Rhine Journey by Richard Wagner
Conductor:  George Szell
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Cleveland Orchestra
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1874; Germany 
 Date of Recording: 1968 
Venue:  Severance Hall, Cleveland 
Length: 12 Minutes 0 Secs. 
6.
Götterdämmerung: Siegfried's Funeral Music by Richard Wagner
Conductor:  George Szell
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Cleveland Orchestra
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1874; Germany 
 Date of Recording: 1968 
Venue:  Severance Hall, Cleveland 
Length: 14 Minutes 9 Secs. 
Notes: This selection includes the orchestral music from Siegfried's death scene. 
7.
Tristan und Isolde: Prelude and Liebestod by Richard Wagner
Conductor:  George Szell
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Cleveland Orchestra
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1859; Germany 
 Date of Recording: 1962 
Venue:  Severance Hall, Cleveland 
Length: 16 Minutes 52 Secs. 
8.
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg: Act 1 Prelude by Richard Wagner
Conductor:  George Szell
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Cleveland Orchestra
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1867; Germany 
 Date of Recording: 1962 
Venue:  Severance Hall, Cleveland 
Length: 9 Minutes 31 Secs. 

Sound Samples

Entrance Of The Gods Into Valhalla from "Das Rheingold"
The Ride Of The Valkyries from "Die Walkure"
Magic Fire Music from "Die Walkure"
Forest Murmurs from "Siegfried"
Dawn and Siegfried's Rhine Journey from "Gotterdammerung"
Siegfried's Funeral Music and Final Scene from "Gotterdammerung"
Prelude and Love-Death from "Tristan And Isolde"
Prelude to Act I from "Die Meistersinger"

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review:  ( 1 Customer Review )
 SZELL DOES IT AGAIN January 1, 2015 By Zita Carno (Tampa, FL) See All My Reviews "Yep, he did it again. Szell always was terrific with Wagner, and this selection of orchestral favorites is no exception. And he even made me laugh---here are two excerpts to demonstrate. Take the famous Ride of the Valkyries---not here, but as it occurs in the opera. The eight sisters take to the air, and they sing---but it's nothing noble or uplifting. It's pure sibling squabbling, along the lines of Hey, watch where you're going, you skyhog, and My horse is faster than your horse, or Get the heck out of my lane, or Ouch, your horse just bit mine, why didn't you feed him this morning? Every time I hear this piece I think of what they're really singing about, and I have to laugh. And then there's the prelude, or overture, or whatever you call it, to the Meistersingers---this particular opera is one of just two that have nothing to do with Teutonic mythology or whatever; it's his one and only comic opera, and the subject matter can be described in five words: Middle Ages Musicians Union Hassle! Again I have to laugh, because somewhere along the line there's this character named Beckmesser who is the prototype of the music critic one would dearly love to strangle! And Szell brings these assorted characters to life even without a word being sung or spoken---the inimitable Cleveland Orchestra does it all. :)" Report Abuse
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