# Favorite 50's and beyond Siegfried?



## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

From 51 on, who's your favorite Siegfried?
:tiphat:


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Wolfgang Windgassen. .


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Unfortunately for this questionnaire - but fortunately for other tenors! - Lauritz Melchior's last stage performance was in 1950.

Guess I'll go with Windgassen.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Wolfgang Windgassen.

Of the ones I've listened live in the theater, Jon Fredric West.


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## Loge (Oct 30, 2014)

More modern, Siegfried Jerusalem. He looks the part, and his acting against Mime in the Kupfer Ring is amazing. Not bad voice too.


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## Faustian (Feb 8, 2015)

I think this is going to be very lopsided, since I haven't heard too many outside of Windgassen that are even satisfactory let alone ideal.


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

Wolfgang Windgassen especially when considering his first few Rings done in the early 1950s when voice was fresh and expressive, I think 1953 was his first Ring......the 1952 Keilberth still had Aldenhoff

My crystal ball predicts future threads like this by Itullian for favorite:
-Wotan
-Brunhilde
-Parsifal
-Lohengrin


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## Faustian (Feb 8, 2015)

As a self-acknowledged ignoramus in matters such as what roles singers take or don't take and why, can anyone explain why Vickers never sang the role (why wasn't he Siegfried instead of Siegmund on Karajan's recording for example), or why Kaufmann hasn't tackled it? Pure curiosity.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Faustian said:


> As a self-acknowledged ignoramus in matters such as what roles singers take or don't take and why, can anyone explain why Vickers never sang the role (why wasn't he Siegfried instead of Siegmund on Karajan's recording for example), or why Kaufmann hasn't tackled it? Pure curiosity.


Kaufmann has been careful and deliberate in taking on Wagner. He apparently intends to attempt Tristan soon, but I haven't heard his thoughts on Siegfried. Vickers was similarly cautious and didn't get around to Tristan until the latter years of his career. I don't know what he had to say about Siegfried.


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## Faustian (Feb 8, 2015)

Woodduck said:


> Kaufmann has been careful and deliberate in taking on Wagner. He apparently intends to attempt Tristan soon, but I haven't heard his thoughts on Siegfried. Vickers was similarly cautious and didn't get around to Tristan until the latter years of his career. I don't know what he had to say about Siegfried.


While I certainly respect the prudence and deference they showed towards these roles when choosing what to take on, I can't help thinking its a shame that the part of Siegfried has been neglected by some of the most well-suited tenors for the role in the past 60 years. Especially in the case of Vickers; based of his portrayal of Tristan we are all the poorer for never having the opportunity to hear him thrill and enthrall us as Siegfried.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

No disagreement from me! Vickers could have done more than any tenor since Melchior to justify all the other characters in the _Ring_ calling Siegfried a hero.

I suppose he was concerned about vocal longevity. Or maybe he just didn't like the character. Vickers could be funny that way.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

I know this isn't on topic but I just finished listening to Vickers as Peter Grimes in a live recording from Covent Garden in 1969. He was just stunning. It is a pity he never considered Siegfried.


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