# Wagner nube, looking for the best Ring recording on youtube



## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

my base de maison is in Verdi and dramatic bel canto, but the Wagner-centric culture of this forum (as well as some absolutely splendid clips of certain singers) has finally pushed me to venture out and become more familiar with his work. which complete recording which you have stumbled across comes most recommended?

yours truly,
B-boy


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

View attachment 80217


There will be people who prefer other versions, but for me this is still the landmark.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Art Rock said:


> View attachment 80217
> 
> 
> There will be people who prefer other versions, but for me this is still the landmark.


I second this. 
By the way Balalaikaboy , we did a poll on 100 opera's can't find is so easy but it's on the opera forum somewhere.:tiphat:


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## gellio (Nov 7, 2013)

I third the Solti recording. It is so cheap and magnificent. I have about 30 Ring recordings (maybe more) and this is definitely, in my opinion, the best of the lot. Only $38 on Amazon. There is a Solti version on YouTube that's quite good - it's the '83 Bayreuth performance (not the recording featured in these posts), but it is not as great as the recording pictured above.


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## gellio (Nov 7, 2013)

Above is a clip of Nilsson (Solti's Brunnhilde) giving a concert, singing the immolation scene. It's dynamite. You need to hear her on the Solti Ring. Wonderful.


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## Balthazar (Aug 30, 2014)

If you want a full set on YouTube with English subtitles, the full Boulez cycle from Bayreuth is currently available in excellent quality. Here is the link to _Das Rheingold_. The others (in two or three parts) are easily found by searching for Boulez [opera title].

:tiphat:


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## howlingfantods (Jul 27, 2015)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> my base de maison is in Verdi and dramatic bel canto, but the Wagner-centric culture of this forum (as well as some absolutely splendid clips of certain singers) has finally pushed me to venture out and become more familiar with his work. which complete recording which you have stumbled across comes most recommended?
> 
> yours truly,
> B-boy


If you're talking a full filmed production with English subtitles on youtube, I agree that Boulez/Chereau version with Jones/Jung/McIntyre that Balthazar mentioned is probably your best option--there are a few other video productions but without subtitles or with Italian or Spanish or French subs. The Boulez is a regie version with the action moved to late 19th century, extremely controversial when first performed but considered a classic now. Cast was assembled in part on the looks and stage presence, and the singing is not the absolute best but certainly decent, and Boulez was not a classic Wagnerian--he drains a lot of the drama and mystery from the piece in favor of transparency and clarity.

The Sawallisch with Behrens/Kollo/Hale, etc is also on youtube, but without subtitles: 



Some pretty good singing, I like the conducting/overall musical approach a little better than Boulez. I've also only listened to this version but never watched the whole production so I don't have an opinion on the staging.

If you get interested to the point of wanting to purchase a copy after spending some time with these on youtube, I would strongly endorse not starting with Solti--I'd start with the Bohm (can be had for like $30) for the best combination of sound, conducting and cast. My absolute favorite is the Furtwangler/Scala version from 1950 but it's in pretty unlistenable sound unless you get it from Pristine Classical, which is listenable but pretty pricey.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

The Solti Ring was a historic project and remains magnificent, though not without controversy or detractors. It's been THE gateway to the Ring for more than one generation now. Ultimately, you'll want to explore alternative interpretations, but Solti will remain a cornerstone of your collection.

I also highly recommend Deryck Cooke's accompanying recording An Introduction To Der Ring Des Nibelungen, for an indispensable overview of how Wagner's continually transforming and combining musical motifs illuminate the drama.


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

On youtube with English subs the Boulez is a great watch.


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## Jeffrey Smith (Jan 2, 2016)

Every recording has its advocates. You might want to check out what your library has before making purchases.

As a DVD production, I will point to the MET/Levine from the 1980s, which presents the story in a traditional staging, so you get an idea of what Wagner intended onstage. The Boulez would be a good set at a later stage.

There are several important recordings I have not heard. I have three--Solti, Karajan, Janowski--sitting on my shelf but untouched. I have actually listened to four in full: Furtwangler/RAI (not the La Scala referred to above, but a semi-studio recording in acceptable mono, available on EMI/Warner), Bohm, Haitink, Zagrosek (Naxos)....my preference is in the order I listed them.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Jeffrey Smith said:


> Every recording has its advocates. You might want to check out what your library has before making purchases.
> 
> As a DVD production, I will point to the MET/Levine from the 1980s, which presents the story in a traditional staging, so you get an idea of what Wagner intended onstage. The Boulez would be a good set at a later stage.
> 
> There are several important recordings I have not heard. I have three--Solti, Karajan, Janowski--sitting on my shelf but untouched. I have actually listened to four in full: Furtwangler/RAI (not the La Scala referred to above, but a semi-studio recording in acceptable mono, available on EMI/Warner), Bohm, Haitink, Zagrosek (Naxos)....my preference is in the order I listed them.


Amen to this :tiphat:


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Jeffrey Smith said:


> Every recording has its advocates. You might want to check out what your library has before making purchases.
> 
> *As a DVD production, I will point to the MET/Levine from the 1980s, which presents the story in a traditional staging, so you get an idea of what Wagner intended onstage. * The Boulez would be a good set at a later stage.
> 
> There are several important recordings I have not heard. I have three--Solti, Karajan, Janowski--sitting on my shelf but untouched. I have actually listened to four in full: Furtwangler/RAI (not the La Scala referred to above, but a semi-studio recording in acceptable mono, available on EMI/Warner), Bohm, Haitink, Zagrosek (Naxos)....my preference is in the order I listed them.


Its not on youtube.
Read the question.


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

gellio said:


> I third the Solti recording. It is so cheap and magnificent. I have about 30 Ring recordings (maybe more) and this is definitely, in my opinion, the best of the lot. *Only $38 on Amazon. *There is a Solti version on YouTube that's quite good - it's the '83 Bayreuth performance (not the recording featured in these posts), but it is not as great as the recording pictured above.


my broke, college @$$ needs something for ZERO dollars


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> my broke, college @$$ needs something for ZERO dollars


Extra paper round perhaps?


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> my broke, college @$$ needs something for ZERO dollars


Post 9 :tiphat:


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Remember, Wagner called them "music dramas", not operas.


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## Loge (Oct 30, 2014)

There is also the Barenboim/Kupfer Ring on Youtube from the 90s. Regarded as the best sounding modern live Ring.


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## Jeffrey Smith (Jan 2, 2016)

Itullian said:


> Its not on youtube.
> Read the question.


He did not specify a budget, and Youtube through a desktop is not a good viewing/listening experience. Which is why I suggested checking into the local library. He says he is a college student. I would assume the school music library has at least some of the performances mentioned here.


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## Guest (Jan 15, 2016)

Jeffrey Smith said:


> He did not specify a budget, and Youtube through a desktop is not a good viewing/listening experience. Which is why I suggested checking into the local library. He says he is a college student. I would assume the school music library has at least some of the performances mentioned here.


Agreed - if you want to experience classical music, and your budget is limited, then the library is your friend. I benefited greatly from a wonderful public library system (Columbus, OH) in my early days of classical music exploration. Where I am now doesn't have as nice of one for classical music, so I am glad that I now have a better budget. But the library may even, at times, have some great recordings that are no longer available for sale. Go there.


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## howlingfantods (Jul 27, 2015)

Loge said:


> There is also the Barenboim/Kupfer Ring on Youtube from the 90s. Regarded as the best sounding modern live Ring.


This is a well performed version but I don't understand the critics who think this is the best sounding. I think the sound is one of the significant drawbacks--to my ears, it's overreverberant and the voices sound distant.


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## gellio (Nov 7, 2013)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> my broke, college @$$ needs something for ZERO dollars


Where do you live? check out your local library. They may have recordings. Also - just a tidbit - you can convert YouTube videos to mp3 and put them on your iTunes or whatever. Just google "Youtube to MP3" - easy peasy!


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Try Spotify. They have the complete Solti recordings including the Ring as well as many of the great historical and contemporary recordings. For $10/month (price of a McDonalds meal) that is an amazing value.


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## gardibolt (May 22, 2015)

Itullian said:


> On youtube with English subs the Boulez is a great watch.


I just listened to the Siegfried from the 1976 Boulez cycle, and that high G at the end of Siegfried that Brünnhilde sings that lasts forever is stunning. Amazing breath control there. I would have felt compelled to stand up and applaud then and there (which is probably why I'm not going to Bayreuth any time soon).


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## gellio (Nov 7, 2013)

gardibolt said:


> I just listened to the Siegfried from the 1976 Boulez cycle, and that high G at the end of Siegfried that Brünnhilde sings that lasts forever is stunning. Amazing breath control there. I would have felt compelled to stand up and applaud then and there (which is probably why I'm not going to Bayreuth any time soon).


The '76 and '77 Boulez recordings are outstanding. Much better than the commercial release in 1980. I think the '77 might be my favorite cycle.


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## Bohemian (Aug 27, 2014)

Apple Music has the Solti cycle . Best place to preview music, before shelling out the bucks .


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## interestedin (Jan 10, 2016)

Free rings to watch on Youtube: There is also the complete Copenhagen Ring. Probably not the best first Ring and not the best singing either. But definitely an interesting approach.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Art Rock said:


> View attachment 80217
> 
> 
> There will be people who prefer other versions, but for me this is still the landmark.


I had not read the YouTube part (in the topics overview, this got cut off), but even so.... you can invest 15 hours of your life watching a sub-optimal version in sub-optimal sound for free on YouTube, or spend just over 2$/hour to get the very best version on CD, yours to play over and over again. Seems like a clear choice to me.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

gellio said:


> The '76 and '77 Boulez recordings are outstanding. Much better than the commercial release in 1980. I think the '77 might be my favorite cycle.


So how does one find this and know which one it is vs the commercial release on You Tube?


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Florestan said:


> So how does one find this and know which one it is vs the commercial release on You Tube?


Opera Depot.com, type in search; Wagner Boulez


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Itullian said:


> Opera Depot.com, type in search; Wagner Boulez


Oh excuse me. My head was into DVDs. Now I remember Gellio recently talking about the 76 sound recording and had looked it up, but it is rather expensive for a non-commercial release.


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## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)

*Audio recordings*
My recommendation would be the Solti _Ring _(the Decca _Ring_). This was my first Ring, which I listened to one opera a week.

To give you an idea, here's _Rheingold_:






The full set is $35 on Ebay.

Classic Ring Cycles available on YouTube:


Knappertsbusch, 1957 
Furtwängler, 1953

Böhm's 1960s recording is also great. Here's _Rheingold_.

*DVD recordings*
The Levine Met (1989-90) is the one you want.









It's traditional, so you see the _Ring _as Wagner intended. Jessye Norman stars in _Walküre_.

It's selling on Ebay for anywhere from $100 to $36. If you have to, ask for it as a birthday present. (I listened to the Solti recording, and then got the DVD from my folks.)

*Background*

Someone upstream recommended Deryck Cooke's Introduction. I'll second this; I found it invaluable when I first listened to the _Ring_.

Furtwängler's Guide to the Ring is also handy.

Father Owen M. Lee's _Turning the Sky Round_ is an excellent, accessible discussion of the deeper meaning of the Ring - a must-read if you want to understand its themes.

Jonathan Darlington's orchestral suite Der symphonische Ring  - only 90 minutes, and a painless way of familiarizing yourself with the music.

IMSLP has vocal scores with both English and German text.

Given your interest in bel canto, you might want to try _Lohengrin_, Wagner's most Italianate opera. Here's the Kempe recording.

Hope this helps!


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

SimonTemplar said:


> *DVD recordings*
> The Levine Met (1989-90) is the one you want.


I see one for $25 on Ebay. I paid $36 then this one popped up a week or so later.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

^ That $25 DVD ring disappeared fast. Hope someone on TC got it.

BTW, perhaps the best budget ring is Neuhold, which I believe can be picked up complete for under $10. It is a servicable ring, but certainly not among the best. But there are many that are worse, particularly in sound quality. FWIW, it is rated 4.3 out of 5 on Amazon (6 reviews). There are sets (14 CD) going used for as little as $3.49 plus shipping: www.amazon.com/dp/B000GUK04A/

Be aware there are many iterations of Neuhold's Ring in different covers and in bigger sets. Some are very expensive, and I am not sure any are remastered. It was recorded live in the 1990s and so most any set should have good sound. But do listen to clips.

Gramophone says of Neuhold's Ring:


> The Gunther Neuhold set (offered by London retailers for less than a tenner) is idiomatically conducted, and has some canny interpreters (Edward Cook as Siegmund/elder Siegfried, John Wegener's Wotans), few weak links and an unfussy recording. It's enjoyable, unaffected music-making, worth a punt for both the beginner and the curious.


http://www.gramophone.co.uk/editorial/the-gramophone-collection-wagners-ring


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

Florestan said:


> ^ That $25 DVD ring disappeared fast. Hope someone on TC got it.


Not me. But thanks to your tip, I went looking on eBay (something I almost never do), and ended up getting the Boulez/Chereau _Götterdämmerung_ instead--finally completing that Ring set for me.

Good job, Florestan!


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Sawallisch (if you don't need subtitles:

Rheingold





Walkure parts 1 and 2









Siegfried parts 1 and 2









Gotterdammerung parts 1 and 2


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

For a newbie Ring on youtube I'd go with Boulez's cycle WITH SUBTITLES 
which will greatly improve your enjoyment.


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