# Orcherstral recordings of Wagner



## Schopenhauer (Jan 9, 2020)

There are a lot of threads discussing the best recordings of Wagner operas, but, what about orchestral recordings of the instrumental parts of those operas? Which ones are your favorites?


----------



## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Paul Paray/London Symphony Orchestra, Antal Dorati/ Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Lorin Maazel


----------



## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

Wagner without words?
I'm speechless...


----------



## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Whilst most composers wrote overtures and, in the verismo period, intermezzi, Wagner's orchestral interludes are those which most often feature in the concert hall. Probably because the quality of the music is so high. There are also orchestral arrangements of some of the sung moments. However, I'm not that keen on listening to orchestral excerpts outside of the operas or performances of the operas. The one exception is when Furtwaengler is conducting and so the following set is indispensable.









Another two disc set for those who like this kind of thing is this one:









Then there are arrangements of the operas for orchestra alone, the so called 'Wagner without words', whilst I love hearing what different arrangers do with the music (and I enjoy Liszt's piano only versions), I'm not that keen on them. Fascinating listening, rather than recordings I wish to listen to again and again.

N.


----------



## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

I can't recommend too highly a recording by the late Charles Gerhardt of a synthesis of the love music from acts 2 and 3 of_ Tristan._ I have it on CD, but you can listen to it on YouTube:






The CD also contains excerpts from _Die Walkure_ and _Gotterdammerung_ as well as the _Siegfried Idyll._


----------



## vivalagentenuova (Jun 11, 2019)

Andre Cluytens' Wagner excerpts are nice.


----------



## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Claudio Abbado has done a synthesis of (mostly) act 3 of Parsifal.

IIRC ... Stokowski did some ... Tristan??


----------



## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

As to the "bleeding chunks", the two Klemperer discs are good.


----------



## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Becca said:


> Claudio Abbado has done a synthesis of (mostly) act 3 of Parsifal.
> 
> IIRC ... Stokowski did some ... Tristan??


Stoky did what he called "symphonic syntheses" of several Wagner operas. Other conductors have followed suit. I heard the one Edo de Waart did of _Parsifal,_ found his conducting dull, and wouldn't recommend it (and the cover art is bizarre); Stoky was far more expressive. For _Tristan_ I actually prefer the one with Charles Gerhardt I mention above to Stoky's.


----------



## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Rogerx said:


> Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Paul Paray/London Symphony Orchestra, Antal Dorati/ Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Lorin Maazel


OP, buy this one, from the early Philps digital system.


----------



## Schopenhauer (Jan 9, 2020)

Thank you all, I am having a good time listening to the recommended recordings!


----------



## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Try Tristan und Isolde, an Orchestral Passion. It's not merely excerpts, but the opera arranged without singers.


----------



## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

This may not be what you're looking for, but it's a blast:


----------



## Schopenhauer (Jan 9, 2020)

wkasimer said:


> This may not be what you're looking for, but it's a blast:
> 
> View attachment 129907


That's really bizarre to be honest!


----------



## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Azol said:


> Wagner without words?
> I'm speechless...


Funny you should say that...........:lol:


----------



## vanzorn (Dec 7, 2020)

New member, just discovered this thread, can’t post attachment but want to recommend the (slightly OT) work by Hans-Jorg Albrecht, who has made and performed organ transcriptions of the Ring and other Wagner pieces, extremely well recorded, that are less, um, quirky (goofy?) than the Anthony Newman version cited above (which I also enjoy).


----------



## Ned Low (Jul 29, 2020)

Tannhauser without words
Ring without words
Lorin Maazel


----------



## adriesba (Dec 30, 2019)

This is the album that got me into Wagner:










I also like this one:


----------



## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

or


----------



## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

I was weaned on Toscanini's T & I


----------



## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

Lorin Maazel's Telarc recording of his version of orchestral excerpts from the Ring is terrific . The Berlin Philharmonic makes sounds of incredible richness and splendor and the Telarc sound is truly spectacular !


----------



## Handelian (Nov 18, 2020)

One of my first LPs was of Knapoersbusch conducting the VPO in Wagner’s Tannhauser overture, Flying Dutchman and Ride of Valkyries. Tremendous crescendoes


----------



## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

In the ‘60s every orchestra with a recording contract had a Wagner Preludes and Overtures record; the Philadelphia Orchestra with Ormandy, the New York Philharmonic with Bernstein, the Cleveland Orchestra with Szell, the Berlin Philharmonic with von Karajan, the Chicago Symphony with Reiner, the Vienna Philharmoniker with Solti. I loved them all and, thanks to the record clubs, obtained them all.


----------



## ericdxx (Jul 7, 2013)

This might be heresy but I really like this take on Tannhauser


----------



## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

ericdxx said:


> This might be heresy but I really like this take on Tannhauser


Sounds like one of Liszt's transcriptions. Classy and beautifully played. Wagner wouldn't have called it heresy.


----------



## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

Handelian said:


> One of my first LPs was of Knapoersbusch conducting the VPO in Wagner's Tannhauser overture, Flying Dutchman and Ride of Valkyries. Tremendous crescendoes


Or is it tremendi crescendi?


----------



## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)




----------



## Otis B. Driftwood (4 mo ago)

Possibly the best sounding collection;








Wagner: Overtures, Preludes & Orchestral Excerpts


A new music service with official albums, singles, videos, remixes, live performances and more for Android, iOS and desktop. It's all here.




music.youtube.com


----------



## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)




----------

