# BARITONE TOURNAMENT (Bonus Matchup): Neidlinger vs Becht vs Wlaschiha



## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

Gustav Neidlinger, Germany, 1910-1991






Hermann Becht, Germany, 1939-2009






Ekkehard Wlaschiha, Germany, 1938-2019






'Bin ich nun frei' from Wagner's _Das Rheingold_.

Who's singing did you prefer and why?


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Neidlinger's dark, focused, snarling timbre and his intense savoring of the sounds of words - I love those rolled Rs! - make him uniquely suited to the portrayal of villains, and his Alberich is iconic. That said, I'm also impressed by Becht, who takes a slightly slower tempo and employs a bit more dynamic variety. He also benefits from a better-balanced recording that gives the orchestra its proper prominence. Becht's Alberich, as recorded, comes across to me as a tad more intellectual and mature - a sort of Hannibal Lecter - whereas Neidlinger projects a more primal, archetypal quality. This is hard, but perhaps because Neidlinger was my first Alberich and has always seemed to me perfect in the part, I'll stick with him here.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Pass- I was more involved with the orchestra and found the 3rd conductor (whoever it was) to be the most dramatic.
If I were to vote for a singer it would be between 1 and 3. Number 2 has a distinct heldentenor type sound to his voice the others don't have. If push came to shove, I guess it would be #3 but admittedly this is definitely out of my familiarity with singers.

(I'd love to hear what could be done with the bass "Gremin's aria" from Onegin.)


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

nina foresti said:


> (I'd love to hear what could be done with the bass "Gremin's aria" from Onegin.)


Send me your preferred matchup with links and we'll make it happen


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## Dimace (Oct 19, 2018)

Very difficult this one. I voted for *Ekkerhard* because he died in Bayreuth and this is (in my fantasy) a last act of commitment to Wagner.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)




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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)




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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Bonetan said:


> Send me your preferred matchup with links and we'll make it happen


Thank you Bonetan.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Neidlinger owned this role in the fifties and also got the chance to set his performance of the role down in the studio in the Solti set. I haven't heard any to match his Alberich live or on recordings. Becht is new for me and he is an excellent Alberich too. Others that I like in this role are Gunther von Kannen in the Barenboim Ring and Andersson (I think it is) in Kna 1958.

That said, there is only one Neidlinger.

N.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Neidlinger is more menacing than the other two, so he gets my vote.


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

Difficult to vote indeed. Becht is most dynamic but Wlaschiha realizes the emotional climaxes to the fullest. Neidlinger is probably the best at capturing the drama of the moment (easily one of my favorite spots in Das Rheingold). Oh what to do?
Neidlinger it is.


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