greg@olivej.UUCP (05/07/84)
I don't recommend the Janowski "Ring". People inclined to
buy it because it's the only one on CD would be better advised
to wait - it can only be a matter of time until another one
appears.
My objections are:
(1) The conducting. Janowski is unable to impart the strength
and cohesiveness needed to allow such long stretches of
music to make their expressive point. Also, he is unable
to draw the necessary weight and darkness of color from
the Dresden orchestra (particularly the brass). The
performance of this orchestra on other recordings (the
Kleiber "Tristan" for example) shows that they are capable
of it when playing for a better Wagner conductor.
(2) The singing. Although there are no painful squawks or
wobbles, only Theo Adam, whose voice has lost what little
richness and color it had when he was younger, is able to
present a fully formed characterization and express the
words of the text with authority and comprehension. The
others (particularly the Brunnhilde and Siegmund) make
pretty sounds with none of the power and ring necessary for
this music, with none of the powerful shaping of phrase
required for the long, broad lines of the vocal writing,
and with no sense of personal involvement in the words.
(3) The sound. On two separate systems (A: Grace/Hafler/Vandersteen,
B: Koetsu/Threshold/Magneplanar) the Eurodic pressing was
definitely inferior sonically to the John Culshaw production
for London made in the late 50's and early to mid 60's. Specific
points, aside from the general lack of ambience, are the lack of
clarity in the bass lines, lack of clarity in the massed brass,
and overal lack of weight for the larger climactic moments.
I heard the CD version on different equipment, but with the
same impression. Specific points for comparison would be
(a) The descent into "Nibelheim" from "Rheingold"
(b) Donner's hammerstroke and the ascent of the gods, also
from "Rheingold"
(c) The low strings in the opening of "Walkuere"
(d) The prelude to Act III of "Siegfried"
(e) Siegfried's Funeral March and the Immolation Scene from
"Goetterdaemmerung".
In each case, the older, analogue Solti recording (particularly
in the recent German "Direct Metal Mastered" reissues) shows
itself to be far superior sonically, as well as offering
incomparable playing by the Vienna Philharmonic. With a cast
headed by Birgit Nilsson at her peak, nobody will ask "Where's
the beef?".
- Greg Paley