# Best mono Ring cycle?



## Itullian

Your favorite and why.

thanks


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## Bill H.

Clemens Krauss, conducting at Bayreuth (his only time), 1953. 

Reason: the cast, and it's a staged performance with all its energy and mishaps. 

The only other one I'd consider at the same level is the RAI Furtwängler, from the same year.


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## Itullian

Bill H. said:


> Clemens Krauss, conducting at Bayreuth (his only time), 1953.
> 
> Reason: the cast, and it's a staged performance with all its energy and mishaps.
> 
> The only other one I'd consider at the same level is the RAI Furtwängler, from the same year.


Knappy? sounds good.


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## musicologyman

Krauss, Bayreuth '53. Amazing cast: Hotter at his peak, Vinay's incomparable Siegmund, Rysanek's Sieglinde, Varnay's Brünnhilde, Ludwig Weber as Fasolt and Hunding, and, of course, Krauss's urgent but musical leadership.


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## SixFootScowl




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## bigshot

Is that Sawallisch Ring any good? I found his modern stereo cycle to be pretty dull.


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## SixFootScowl

bigshot said:


> Is that Sawallisch Ring any good? I found his modern stereo cycle to be pretty dull.


Can try it yourself. Streaming links here.


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## DavidA

musicologyman said:


> Krauss, Bayreuth '53. Amazing cast: Hotter at his peak, Vinay's incomparable Siegmund, Rysanek's Sieglinde, Varnay's Brünnhilde, Ludwig Weber as Fasolt and Hunding, and, of course, Krauss's urgent but musical leadership.


No question this is the best mono Ring.


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## Barbebleu

Well the '58 Kna can give it a run for its money. IMHO of course.


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## wkasimer

bigshot said:


> Is that Sawallisch Ring any good? I found his modern stereo cycle to be pretty dull.


The problem with Sawallisch's stereo RING is the cast.

The 1968 RING is particularly strong in Siegfried, which is about as well cast as any recording out there. Jean Cox is particularly good in the title role. I don't think that the rest of the cycle is quite on that level, but I find that Siegfried essential for anyone who loves the opera. Probably still available cheaply at Norbeck and Peters.


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## SixFootScowl

Still standing with this one!

Here is a review.



SixFootScowl said:


>


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## CnC Bartok

Solti's cycle, but through one speaker.......:angel:


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## SixFootScowl

CnC Bartok said:


> Solti's cycle, but through one speaker.......:angel:


Is this an older mono Solti cycle? If it is the much-praised Solti cycle then you need to combine the left and right channel signals before feeding it into one speaker.


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## jegreenwood

SixFootScowl said:


> Is this an older mono Solti cycle? If it is the much-praised Solti cycle then you need to combine the left and right channel signals before feeding it into one speaker.


Given the dates of release, wouldn't there have been a mono version?


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## wkasimer

jegreenwood said:


> Given the dates of release, wouldn't there have been a mono version?


There was for Rheingold. Not sure about the other three operas, but I suspect that they were also issued in mono - it was pretty early in the stereo era.


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## Barbebleu

jegreenwood said:


> Given the dates of release, wouldn't there have been a mono version?


Like wkasimer I would have thought so but I don't recall ever seeing them in mono. Given that they were pushing this as the first studio stereo Ring perhaps not though.


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## wkasimer

Barbebleu said:


> Like wkasimer I would have thought so but I don't recall ever seeing them in mono. Given that they were pushing this as the first studio stereo Ring perhaps not though.


I just looked on Discogs, and there were indeed monaural versions of all four operas.


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## Barbebleu

wkasimer said:


> I just looked on Discogs, and there were indeed monaural versions of all four operas.


I imagine they are about as rare as rocking horse doo doo!


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## SixFootScowl

SixFootScowl said:


>


More on this set in this review of the OperaDepot release, which says the Walkure has some sound problems, which I don't recall from mine which is not Opera Depot. I have Rheingold, Siefgried, and Gotterdammerung from MYTO and the Walkure was a free download from some other site that I can no longer find.
*REVIEW*


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