# Favorite Wagner opera?



## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

The creation of this poll was suggested to me by HarpsichordConcerto, which I feel gives me just cause to create such a desirable thing without feeling like I'm annoying you all by harping on about Wagner endlessly.

You are invited to select up to 3 (three) of your favorite Wagner operas (or, ahem, "music dramas"). This means you may also select 2 (two), 1 (one), or 0 (none) if you're one of _those_ people.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

1.- _Tristan und Isolde_.
2.- _Lohengrin_
3.- _Parsifal_


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

schigolch said:


> 1.- _Tristan und Isolde_.
> 2.- _Lohengrin_
> 3.- _Parsifal_


I applaud your enthusiasm, jumping on the thread before the poll was up, but now exercise your democratic right!


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

What a great poll, Couchie!  

In the following order for me:-

(1) _Parsifal_ - this is a funny one because it just instantly clicked with me all the way through right from the first listening. It's music is just quite ... magical. That's the only way I can put it.

(2) _Lohengrin_ - this one just grows and grows on me.

(3) And then a battle between _Tristan und Isolde_ and oddly enough for me, _Das Rheingold_. I think for the purpose of this poll, I shall pick the former.

But _Parsifal_ is a clear stand out for moi.


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## BalloinMaschera (Apr 4, 2011)

In no particular order:
Tristan & Isolde.
Lohengrin
Walkuere 

I wish I could pick 4 or 5, as Meistersinger would have completed the list.

Parisfal would have been 5th, tied with Goetterdaemmerung. Dutchman would have been in the mix , too... very vague of me- I know...


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

Tristan
Meistersinger
Rheingold


In no particular order. Except Rheingold.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

1. _Die Walküre_ (Drat! Now the secret is out!)
2. _Parsifal_
3. _Tristan und Isolde_

And . . . um . . . _Meistersinger_ . . . and _Siegfried_ . . . and _Lohengrin_ . . . and _Götterdämmerung_ . . . and . . .

Feel like I'm at the dog pound. Oh heck, they're all so adorable, looking at me with those big sad eyes, I'm taking them *all* home to live with me!


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

I'm not that much of a Wagner enthusiast -- I like his operas, but I'm not wild about them, and there are other composers I prefer. That said, _Lohengrin_ would have to be my top choice.


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## unpocoscherzando (Sep 24, 2011)

_Tristan und Isolde_ - _Amor_/_Mors_


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

I pretty much like them all except that I haven't seen his two youthful efforts.
Strange that Tannhauser is so neglected, I quite like it.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Anybody here listened to the early works? _Die Feen_? I don't think there are any visual mediums around, only CDs.


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## AmericanGesamtkunstwerk (May 9, 2011)

I resisted the urge to do all three from The Ring. But once you split up the ring, I find myself saying:
1. Walküre
2. Parsifal
3. Lohengrin

I guess when you count the Ring as one, Dusk, Siegfried, and Rhinegold all fall above Parsifal and Lohengrin, but separated its different. maybe that's strange.

Can we as a side note also list our favorite Vorspiels/Preludes?
1. Lohengrin Act I
2. Walküre Act II
3. Parsifal Act I
4. Götterdämmerung Prologue
5. Tristan Act I
6. Rheingold Scene 1



> Anybody here listened to the early works? Die Feen? I don't think there are any visual mediums around, only CDs.


I found a Liebesverbot recording of a decent quality, I like it a good deal. its actually a spot on sound of the way I would imagine a teen-age'd Wagner. (Which is special to me 'cause I fancy myself something of a teen-age'd Wagner.) Haven't heard Die Feen. I also enjoy Rienzi. I would like to see productions of these I can't imagine how rare that must be.


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## myaskovsky2002 (Oct 3, 2010)

Couchie said:


> The creation of this poll was suggested to me by HarpsichordConcerto, which I feel gives me just cause to create such a desirable thing without feeling like I'm annoying you all by harping on about Wagner endlessly.
> 
> You are invited to select up to 3 (three) of your favorite Wagner operas (or, ahem, "music dramas"). This means you may also select 2 (two), 1 (one), or 0 (none) if you're one of _those_ people.


I tried to make the same, I mean, to have more than one choice and I couldn't. Could you tell me how?

Danke schön

Herr Martin


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## myaskovsky2002 (Oct 3, 2010)

If the only Wagner's opera I have know was Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg...I would hate Wagner. I love Wagner though.

Martin


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

I've heard 2 of his operas in full in recent years, and maybe 2 others in full over a longer period. Plus all the usual highlights, the famous _Tristan und Isolde_ "Love-death" duet, etc. No formal qualifications were mentioned to vote, so I as a non-Wagnerian, have registered (only) one vote.

It is for _*Tannhauser*_, I heard it on a friend's disc with Placido Domingo in the title role and the late great Giuseppe Sinopoli at the helm. I liked it because it had very strong melodies and I like how Wagner developed those melodies. & this recording was the Paris version, so the added ballet came as a bonus to me, a lover of mainly instrumental music.

But my favourite piece by him is his _Siegfried Idyll_, which probably would win a poll of his purely non-operatic works (the main competition being the _Wesendock Lieder_), it is of a high level and generally admired, methinks...


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

AmericanGesamtkunstwerk said:


> ... I also enjoy Rienzi. I would like to see productions of these I can't imagine how rare that must be.


Try this. But don't ask me yet, as it's part of my disgraceful unwatched pile.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

^ One needs to understand that Rienzi, Wagner's longest opera, is severely abridged here, cut in about half.
Nevertheless I quite enjoyed this blu-ray disc.


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## BalloinMaschera (Apr 4, 2011)

Incidentally, today marks the 166th anniversary of the Dresden (Hoftheater) version of Tannhaueser.


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## Ludders (Jun 17, 2011)

Tristan
Götterdämmerung
Das Rheingold

Die Walküre (bubbling under)


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Meistersinger


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

_Definitely_ in order:

1. Das Rheingold
2. Tristan und Isolde
3. Tannhäuser


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

HarpsichordConcerto said:


> Try this. But don't ask me yet, as it's part of my disgraceful unwatched pile.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

I think he means the pile is disgraceful, not what's in it.

1. Die Walküre
2. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
3. Das Rheingold


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## AndyS (Dec 2, 2011)

1. Tristan und Isolde
2. Die Walkure
3. Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

I finally watched Parsifal. It was stupid.


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## Wehwalt (Jan 21, 2012)

How very difficult to choose only 3 of those... 

1. Die Walküre
2. Tristan und Isolde
3. Der Fliegende Höllander

Is what i'd say right now, but for #3 it was a very hard choice between the Dutchman and Götterdammerung... Love all of Wagner


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## jalex (Aug 21, 2011)

AmericanGesamtkunstwerk said:


> Can we as a side note also list our favorite Vorspiels/Preludes?
> 1. Lohengrin Act I
> 2. Walküre Act II
> 3. Parsifal Act I
> ...


Now this I can do:

1) Parsifal Act I
2) Tristan Act I
3) Walkure Act II
4) Tannhauser Act I
5) Lohengrin Act I
6) Meistersinger Act I


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## Il_Penseroso (Nov 20, 2010)

In order of preference : 

Das Rheingold 

Die Walküre

Tristan und Isolde 

Parsifal 

Vorspiels (Preludes) :

Rienzi 

Tannhäuser 

Tristan und Isolde


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Il_Penseroso said:


> In order of preference :
> 
> Das Rheingold
> 
> ...


So Tristan is both your 3rd and least favorite opera. Profound, my friend.


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## Il_Penseroso (Nov 20, 2010)

Couchie said:


> So Tristan is both your 3rd and least favorite opera. Profound, my friend.


You didn't read my post carefully dear sir, I was ranking both operas and preludes, not only operas !


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Il_Penseroso said:


> You didn't read my post carefully dear sir, I was ranking both operas and *preludes*, not only operas !


The word you are looking for is "*vorspiel"*


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## Il_Penseroso (Nov 20, 2010)

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> The word you are looking for is "*vorspiel"*


Das weiß ich genau. Seh doch mal hier mein Freund !


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Il_Penseroso said:


> Das weiß ich genau. Seh doch mal hier mein Freund !


Mein Fehler.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Il_Penseroso said:


> You didn't read my post carefully dear sir, I was ranking both operas and preludes, not only operas !


Rienzi and Tannhäuser have overtures, not Vorspiels.


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## Il_Penseroso (Nov 20, 2010)

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Mein Fehler.


Never mind dear


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

More Meister fans needed.........................


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Itullian said:


> More Meister fans needed.........................


Quit listening to so much Wagner. You're making me look bad.


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## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

Aaaaaarrrrrgh!!! I hate these kinds of polls!! They make me feel like I am shopping  OK, here's mine: 

Götterdämmerung - the most epic.
Parsifal - the most spiritual.
Tannhäuser - I have very warm feelings toward it because it was my introduction to Wagner and to classical music in general.

And yes, I absolutely love Die Meistersinger too. In fact I stand up during the Meistersinger finale.


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## myaskovsky2002 (Oct 3, 2010)

I bought the Barenboim DVD and found some extra scenes I have never seen before: The Norns weaving the rope of destiny (very Greek indeed) and the scene where they give a potion to Sigfried to forget about Brünhilde and fall in love with Gutrune. Very new for me. Could somebody explain me if this existed in original Wagner version, and Solti, Furtwangler and other decided to skip them?

Please help me!

Martin


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## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

myaskovsky2002 said:


> I bought the Barenboim DVD and found some extra scenes I have never seen before: The Norns weaving the rope of destiny (very Greek indeed) and the scene where they give a potion to Sigfried to forget about Brünhilde and fall in love with Gutrune. Very new for me. Could somebody explain me if this existed in original Wagner version, and Solti, Furtwangler and other decided to skip them?
> 
> Please help me!
> 
> Martin


I've never seen either Barenboim or other DVDs, but both the scene with the Norns and the scene with Hagen's magic potion are written down in Wagner's libretto. So I'm not sure how anyone can skip them unless they tampered with the score. Definitely neither Solti nor Fürtwangler would do that. On Solti's CD both scenes are present.


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## Hesoos (Jun 9, 2012)

1-Die Walkure
2-Rienzi
3-Lohengrin


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## Novelette (Dec 12, 2012)

I'm largely indifferent to Wagner's music, just not my thing. But I have no qualm singling out T&I as my favorite. 

Amazing opera. A new departure from standardly "Classical" diatonic mode, and breathtakingly done!


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## NightXsenator (Jan 14, 2013)

And what should do a person which doesn't know German (and doesn't want to know it)? :tiphat:


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## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

NightXsenator said:


> And what should do a person which doesn't know German (and doesn't want to know it)? :tiphat:


Read an English translation of the libretto (for example here: http://www.rwagner.net/e-t-opere.html ) / read surtitles at a live performance/ or overcome his lack of desire to know German. The latter is the best variant, I think :tiphat:


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## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

The one I was named after 

I like the ones that I've heard (which is not many, but nonetheless), still _Tristan_ is my favorite.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

I actually prefer the opera he didn't write!


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## aisia (Jul 28, 2013)

Preference order:

Tristan 
Wakure
Gotterdammerung
Rheingold
Parsifal
Siegfried
Die Meistersinger
Tannhauser
Hollander
Lohengrin - watched once, but couldn't really get into it. Some marvellous music, though. I haven't tried the juvenilia, but I'll give a shout out to Rienzi's prayer. 

The Preludes question is interesting (though I probably couldn't call this is a preference ordering):

Rheingold is just phenomenal, especially if we include the whole first scene. Mesmerising. 
Tristan III + first cor anglais solo. A perfect musical expression of absolute despair. 
Lohengrin I is wonderful, and I think it works better alone as a tone poem than the whole thing does as an opera. But I'd hold on to the opera anyway just for the fact that Parsifal has a son! 
Parsifal I: as even Nietzsche admitted, after this all other music seems a mistake. 
Also I quite fancy the idea of Meistersinger I playing at my wedding.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

My favorite Wagner operas in order of favor:

1. Der fliegende Hollander
2. Lohengrin
3. Meistersinger


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Tristan & Isolde.
Tannhäuser
Parsifal .


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Florestan said:


> My favorite Wagner operas in order of favor:
> 
> 1. Der fliegende Hollander
> 2. Lohengrin
> 3. Meistersinger


My new Lohengrin set arrived yesterday and I am on my third or fourth listen (lost track). I think this very well could move up to first place ahead of Der fliegende Hollander. What a wonderful performance this one is!


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## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

DavidA said:


> I actually prefer the opera he didn't write!


Who'd have thunk it?


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## Loge (Oct 30, 2014)

1. Tristan un Isolde
2. Die Walkure
3. Das Rheingold

Tristan is musically the best, Die Walkure has the best drama, Rheingold has the best tunes. Tune wise Rheingold is Wagners greatest opera, two and a half hour of tunes, but it lacks the emotional dynamics of Tristan or Walkure. This can be put down to a lack of a female lead. Fricka and Freia are no Isolde, Sieglinde or Brunhilde.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I was surprised how poorly Gotterdammerung did in the poll. To me it is a virtual tie with Tristan. The first act and the last act have such stupenous music and those chorus numbers!!!! Tristan, though, has some of the most haunting melodies in all of opera and it's brilliance bears up to repeated and repeated listening. Hard to choose for me for different reasons.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

1. Parsifal (by a long shot)
2. Gotterdammerung
3. Tristan & Isolde


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## daviddfreeman (Jul 1, 2016)

1. Lohengrin (by a VERY wide margin)
2. Tristan und Isolde
3. Tannhäuser


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## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)

Lohengrin. 

Liebesverbot. I am the first person in the 5 years this thread has run, so I'll justify my choice. From the brilliant overture, this is exhilarating, full of brio and panache, with dancing rhythms and elaborate ensembles as rapid as machine gun fire. Isabella's music is lovely. Forget about the fiasco of its premiere; this is delightful. 

Meistersinger (but really tying with Tannhaeuser )


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