Notes and Editorial Reviews
Richard Wagner’s Ring has been performed in the highly reduced version by Wieland Wagner at the eight Beyreuth festivals since the re-opening of the theatre in 1951. Although his version- still sparing in comparison with today’s staging concepts- depended on its use of lighting and special effects, he took the opportunity to bring in a complete musical overhaul: direction of the production was given to the 48-year-old conductor Rudolf Kempe. While a younger generation was taking over on the conductor’s rostrum at the new Bayreuth, a new generation of singers was also finding its feet in the great Ring roles. In the new production, tenor Gerhard Stolze was able to build on his finely acted, declamatory portrayal of Mime that he had taken on
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in 1957. Regine Crespin, who had successfully taken the role of Kundry in Parsifal in Bayreuth since 1958 and only appeared in the Ring that one year, imbued the role of Sieglinde with the touching emotionality of her highly dramatic soprano voice, and gave a persuasive reading, with the young Fritz Uhl playing her loving brother. Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
Der Ring des Nibelungen by Richard Wagner
Performer:
Gottlob Frick (Bass),
Fritz Uhl (Tenor),
Astrid Varnay (Soprano),
Régine Crespin (Soprano),
Otakar Kraus (Baritone),
Peter Roth-Ehrang (Bass),
Regina Resnik (Mezzo Soprano),
Birgit Nilsson (Soprano),
James Milligan (Bass Baritone),
Jerome Hines (Bass),
Hans Hopf (Tenor),
Herold Kraus (Tenor),
Thomas Stewart (Baritone),
Grace Hoffman (Mezzo Soprano),
Marga Höffgen (Alto),
Gerhard Stolze (Tenor),
Wilma Schmidt (Soprano)
Conductor:
Rudolf Kempe
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Bayreuth Festival Orchestra,
Bayreuth Festival Chorus
Period: Romantic
Written: 1853-1874; Germany
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