# Your favourite Wagner overture/prelude



## Andreas

What is your favourite Wagner overture or (act I) prelude?


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## Zabirilog

Tannhäuser. It's long, beautiful, powerful, and everything what just can be in an overture.
After it, maybe Parsifal, Meistersinger and Tristan.


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## MagneticGhost

I think the Parsifal Overture was the key to me finally giving Wagner a chance. I was so blown away when I heard it for the first time.


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## dionisio

All?:devil:


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## ahammel

_Meistersinger_, for managing to get across not only the motives of the rest of the opera, but the actual plot as well.


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## SiegendesLicht

I love them all, so it's hard to choose, but I vote for _Die Meistersinger _ overture - probably the most solemnly joyful and uplifting moment in all Wagner's works, a piece of music that is bright and sparkling like diamonds. I remember another TCser comparing it to a smile set to music. I listened to it during some hard times in my life, and it always gave me a feeling of hope, of good things awaiting just around the corner. And last time I heard it, after a somewhat stressful week, those first blasts of brass had a similar effect on me as a shot of liquor is supposed to have on people: a warmth exploding inside and all my work-related troubles suddenly seeming far away and insignificant. Truly a marvellous piece!

In fact I think I am going to hear it once more.


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## DavidA

I studied Flying Dutchman for GCE about 50 years ago. Had an old recording of Knappersbusch conducting the VPO. Fantastic crescendos.


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## unpocoscherzando

I voted for the _Tristan_ prelude: _amor_/_mors_.


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## chalkpie

I voted for Tristan, but Parsifal is only 3 cm behind.


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## Arsakes

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg prelude is the best 

Honorable mentions: 
- the bombastic 'Die Walküre'
- the tragic Götterdämmerung


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## Weston

I went out on a limb (or up the creek) with Das Rheingold. That slow building torrent all on one note or chord until it sounds like the whole world is drowning in it. Incredible!


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## Lisztian

Tristan, then Parsifal, then Tannhäuser.


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## Brahmsian Colors

Zabirilog said:


> Tannhäuser. It's long, beautiful, powerful, and everything what just can be in an overture.


Agree. The more commonly recorded and imposing Dresden version, not the Paris version. I still find Klemperer's monumental EMI interpretation with the Philharmonia Orchestra the most impressive and satisfying.


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## ArtMusic

Parsifal . Wagner paints very interesting orchestral colors.


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## Pugg

Tristan und Isolde then whatever floats my boat.


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## Ned Low

All of them are great.1 The Dutchman's overture has four leitmotifs in it the Dutchman's,the redemption through love motif, the wind and sea motif, and the Norwegian sailor's motif. It provides you with a great summary of the plot. 2Tannhauser's is so unique. The leitmotif of the pilgrims is amazing considering the fact that Wagner was not a religious man and didn't compose religious and sacred works(unlike Bach, Handel, Liszt etc.) 3Lohengrin's is great as well. It's sublime. It depicts the story of the Holy Grail(Actually i was torn between Tannhauser's and Lohengrin's.)4 Das Rheingold's prelude is about nature, in fact it's nature tself. 5 the first time i listened to Die Walküre's prelude,even though i didn't know anything about the plot(Sigmund's running away from Hunding's family), i quite got the feeling that this prelude is about someone running away and someone pursuing them. That's Wagner's magic! 6 Siegfried's prelude shows Mime's brooding over the Nibelungen treasure and the dragon. 7 Gotterdammerung's is long but works like a flashback, it tells you what Wotan has been doing ever since the previous opera. 8 T&I's mindblowing: two lovers who long for each other but sadly can't be with each other and can reach fulfilment only through death. 9 Parsifal's prelude is, how should i put it, heavenly?(i love everything about Parsifal  .)


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## flamencosketches

Voted Lohengrin, but could have also gone for Tristan or Parsifal. I've never actually heard Lohengrin. I ought to change that soon.


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## starthrower

I can't pick one favorite. There are so many good ones.


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## Rogerx

I think about it, will be back


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## starthrower




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## Animal the Drummer

I've loved the overture to "Tannhäuser" since my childhood days as a fledgling classical fan. Easy choice for me.


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## Dimace

Tannhäuser. ohne Frage! :tiphatthe most transcribed for piano and organ, Wagner's Overture.)


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## Barbebleu

Tannhäuser, Paris version.


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## ThaNotoriousNIC

I chose the Tannhauser Overture in the poll. It is my favorite overture by Wagner as the Pilgrim's chorus is an incredibly powerful and moving melody and the subsequent Venusberg music is beautiful too. If I had to quickly rank the overtures/preludes of the Wagner operas I've listened to/seen in order, it'd be as follows:

1) Tannhauser Overture
2) Prelude to Parsifal
3) Die Meistersingers von Nuremberg Overture
4) Prelude to Lohengrin
5) Prelude to Das Rheingold
6) Der Fliegende Hollander Overture
7) Prelude to Die Walkure
8) Prelude to Siegfried
9) Prelude to Tristan und Isolde
10) Prelude to Gotterdamerung


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## Animal the Drummer

Dimace said:


> Tannhäuser. ohne Frage! :tiphatthe most transcribed for piano and organ, Wagner's Overture.)


Stimmt, mein Herr.


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## Simon23

Parsifal. One of the most beautiful works, not only in Wagner, but in general.


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## Heck148

Simon23 said:


> Parsifal. One of the most beautiful works, not only in Wagner, but in general.


I heard a really magical "Parsifal" prelude played by Barenboim/CSO in Boston Symphony Hall....it was amazing....the whole atmosphere was put forth so perfectly, beautifully - Trumpet I (the incomparable Herseth) played the long trumpet lines so perfectly, putting just enough brilliance, brightness on the tone - the glints of brilliance of the Holy Grail, shining thru the mists....these "mists" were laid down perfectly by the orchestra, the strings and low brass...there were no "attacks", no hard entries... the chords just "appeared"....which created such a wonderful misty, dreamy atmosphere....their recording is superb, but this live rendition was even better. Quite magical.


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## BrahmsWasAGreatMelodist

For once my tastes seem to align with TC consensus.

My top 3:

1. Tristan und Isolde
2. Tannhauser
3. Parsifal

However I feel bad putting any of them below #1!


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## starthrower

I picked Tristan but I love Meistersinger, Tannhauser, and several others.


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## Agamenon

Tristan und Isolde: after this, music changed forever.

Interesting to know this fact: Daniel Barenboim recognized that he re -recorded Beethoven´s 32 piano sonatas, after the experience with Tristan und Isolde. Such masterpiece is a never ending ocean.


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## HenryPenfold

I voted Lohengrin, but it could just as easily been Rheingold or Walkure for me.


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## 89Koechel

Wow, Siegfried gets NO votes, and Gotterdammerung, Rienzi ... and even Die Walkure ... get only 1, apiece. Well, such are the trends, these days. It's easy to understand, though, that Parsifal, Meistersinger, Dutchman and the others truly DESERVE their spots, in the subjective ratings. Wagner was such a master, in introducing his subject matter, motifs, etc.


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## Rogerx

Tannhäuser...................:angel:


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## Spy Car

Parsifal, then Tristan und Isolde, then Tannhäuser.

Bill


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## SixFootScowl

As I am not all that familiar with all the overtures, I need to have them all up on YouTube so I can sample each one before I decide. My recollection is that the Flying Dutchman's overture is unique in style relative to the others.


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## Ganz Allein

So, I love the Tannhäuser overture as much as the next guy, but if I could play devil's advocate for a bit, I would say that it's a bit too disjointed to rise to the top. I understand that the overture (and the opera itself) are about the dichotomy between the pilgrim music and the Venusberg music, but the two seem a bit poorly mashed together in the overture, as if Wagner knew he needed to include both in the overture, and so just stitched them together. The transition from the Pilgrim's chorus to the Venusberg music in the overture, while exciting, strikes me as somewhat jarring and illogical.

I chose Dutchman for my #1, as it's a masterpiece of economy in terms of weaving together the main leitmotifs of the opera itself while also effectively summarizing the plot - all while remaining a thrilling piece of absolute music that clocks in right around 10 minutes!

Anyway, between the cream of the crop of Dutchman, Lohengrin, Rheingold, Walkure, Meistersinger, and yes, even Tannhäuser, this is an impossible choice!


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## Aries

I just want to draw attention to two concert ouvertures which Wagner wrote when he was young, because they are not included in the poll.

They are not in yet in his later romantic style. They are much more reminiscent of Beethovens ouvertures, and they are pretty good.

Concert ouverture No. 1 in D minor from 1831:






Concert ouverture No. 2 in C major from 1832:


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## hammeredklavier

Aries said:


>


"During his studies with Weinlig he had tried to discover the secret of Mozart's fluency and lightness in solving difficult technical problems. In particular he tried to emulate the fugal finale of the great C major Symphony, 'magnificent, never surpassed', as he called it years later, and at eighteen he wrote a fugato as the finale of his C major Concert Overture, 'the very best that I could do, as I thought at the time, in honour of my new exemplar'."
< Wagner: A Biography / Curt von Westernhagen / P. 82 >


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## Subutai

Tannhauser Overture by a country mile. Anyone, and I mean ANYONE, who can write THAT, is alright by me. Wagner was a musical revolutionary of his time.


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## Kreisler jr

The Tannhäuser ouverture was one of the earlier pieces of Wagner's I encountered and liked as a teenager but nowadays my favorites are Meistersinger, Tristan and Dutchman.


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## HerbertNorman

Tristan und Isolde


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## annaw

Really depends, I love pretty much all of them but I voted for _Parsifal_. Otherwise, Wagner's overtures and preludes are all wonderful in my opinion - particularly those of his late operas + Rienzi.


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## ThankYouKiwi

I picked Meistersinger. It's probably the one I like to listen to by itself most.


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## ThankYouKiwi

89Koechel said:


> Wow, Siegfried gets NO votes, and Gotterdammerung, Rienzi ... and even Die Walkure ... get only 1, apiece. Well, such are the trends, these days. It's easy to understand, though, that Parsifal, Meistersinger, Dutchman and the others truly DESERVE their spots, in the subjective ratings. Wagner was such a master, in introducing his subject matter, motifs, etc.


It's just that vorspiels like Meistersinger and Tristan work very well by themself. Ones like Walkure and Siegfried, while incredible, are mostly good in the larger context of the opera.


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## CatchARisingStar

Truth be told, my opera collection is quite slim. In fact, I make a point of collecting mainly opera overtures, suites, piano transcriptions and various Operas Without Words. The exception is Wagner and I guess that's because the music isn't that grating to the ear. I got into Wagner through the Tannhauser overture. When I first heard that, I nearly choked. It was so chockful of gorgeous melodies that I had to obtain it right away (Solti/Chicago). I subsequently saw a performance of it at the Metropolitan Opera House/James Levine and even named my BMI publishing catalog Tannhauser Music in honor of this great opus.


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## damianjb1

Lohengrin. A stunningly beautiful piece of music.


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## Aries

I voted for Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg some time ago. But I listened a lot to Die Feen and Das Liebesverbot Ouvertures recently, and now the Meistersinger Ouverture seems a bit anticlimatic for me (except the last 3-4 minutes).


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