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I saw Die Walkure in the house, when they were filming the HD production, and the other 3 operas at my local movie theater in HD. All were fantastic experiences, but having them home to watch over and over again is even better. And just think, $119.99. To compare, I bought the laserdisc version of the Schenk Ring Cycle in 1994, at a cost of $335.00. And I've enjoyed it many times. And when I saw Die Walkure live, my ticket was around $300.00. For just the one opera. In the house, of course, you get better sound. In the movie theater, you get great picture, but the sound of the orchestra is not always so full and rich. But at home, on a widescreen HD television, with a surround sound system, you get great picture, with closeups, and amazing sound quality.
The bluray has DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and PCM Stereo. Compared with my laserdisc version of the Schenk production, the sound here is much richer, much more enveloping, for both orchestra and singers. The picture is 1080i HD, 16:9, which fills my 59 inch screen, and looks beautiful (the Schenk is SD, soft picture, 1.33:1, with black bars on the sides on my TV). There are subtitles, which you can turn on or off, in English, German, French, Spanish and Chinese. As others have pointed out the set includes four blurays, one for each opera, along with a fifth bluray of the film Wagner's Dream. I watched this first, and it really explains the challenges of the production well. Each opera disc contains a short booklet, listing the chapter stops and timings, an essay and the synopsis. The discs themselves have some special features. When I saw the broadcasts in the theaters, there were live cast interviews between the acts. But by including these as special features, you can watch the opera uninterrupted, and then view the interviews later. The Walkure disc has a short special on leitmotifs, with members of the horn section illustrating the themes, in closeup and stunning sound.
You've read all the pros and cons of the production. I for one, thought it was just right, a balance between traditionalist productions and crazy modern ones. I loved the costumes, which are traditional, especially the Walkyries' costumes, which I thought were very flattering to the various builds of the nine ladies. I thought the ring of fire scene in the Schenk production (which I also saw live) was more magical, but in general, the myriad imaginative uses of the machine were both technically impressive and wonderfully illustrative of the story.
As for the singing, unless one goes back and compares it to something like the Solti Ring, which was recorded over many years, with numerous outtakes, not in front of a live audience like this, it was magnificent. In Rheingold, the cast is top notch throughout, from a lovely trio sound of the Rheinmaidens, to Eric Owens as a powerful Alberich, ably showing the frustration and later arrogance of the character, to Stephanie Blythe as Fricka, and Bryn Terfel as Wotan, his deep, lush, Wagnerian baritone showing why he is king of the Gods. I also liked Adam Diegel in the small role of Froh, his clarion tenor showing promise for the future. Wendy Bryn Harmer plays a fetching Freia in Rheingold. She later is one of the Walkyries, and then Gutrune in Gotterdammerung.
In Die Walkure, Terfel really gets to show his credentials, both as a singer and an actor, and his performance is gripping. Deborah Voigt, whom I have seen many times, is one of the finest filmed Brunhildes ever (not comparing to CD versions). I agree with some that her voice is just a tad less amazing than it was in her 1993 Elektra broadcast, but she still has power to spare, a deep, rich sound, and excellent control throughout her range. She also acts the part wonderfully. I can imagine Birgit Nilsson, who of course had the greatest voice of all time for this role, costumed like this, with ultra closeups. Well, maybe I shouldn't imagine that. Eva-Maria Westbroek is an excellent Sieglinde, able to hit the highest notes without any strain, a large voice. And then there is Jonas Kaufmann as Siegmund. Wow. What a voice. He really makes this opera special.
Now I've watched Siegfried. I love this opera, as it has tons of comedy, and a dramatic happy ending, things not always present in opera. I am even more convinced than before that the Lepage production is a winner. There are beautiful visual effects, such as a video "pond" with reflections of the live characters, a 3-D forest bird whose beak actually is triggered to the voice of the singer, and a stunning representation of the fiery top of the mountain where Siegfried wakes Brunnhilde. I went back and looked at my dvd of the Chereau production in 1976 and the Met Otto Schenk production. Compared to this new one, they both looked static, boring. Costumes are also better, especially Erda, who comes from the Earth, and has a dress covered with what looks like pieces of shiny volcanic rock. You really have to see it, and it matches her character. As for singing, once again, it's excellent. Terfel as the Wanderer is commanding, but now world weary. Gerhard Siegel as Mime is excellent, a very strong voice (he used to sing Siegfrieds). Jay Hunter Morris, the last minute replacement, has a fine voice, smooth and powerful. I'm not sure he matches every Siegfried of the past, but he really looks heroic, and acts perfectly, starting as a naive foolish wild child, but gradually learning about love, women and destiny. But Deborah Voigt, for me, is the star. Her 35 minute love duet showcases a huge, full sound, torrents of notes flowing effortlessly over the orchestra to fill the hall. Her acting is also spot on, and the chemistry between Brunnhilde and Siegfried is palpable. This is one wonderful disc, which I'll watch over and over again.
One singer I haven't mentioned yet is Hans-Peter Konig, who plays Fafner, Hunding and Hagen over the course of the cycle. He has a thunderous deep bass, used to great effect in these villain roles. Wendy Bryn Harmer, who was Freia and then one of the Valkyries, plays Gutrune in Gotterdammerung. She looks and sounds beautiful, and acts her part well. One of the best things about this 4th opera in the cycle is that it has a chorus. And what a sound they make! Their singing in Act 2 is thrilling, and like the rest of the set, sounded wonderful on my sound system. In fact, the sound and picture are so good throughout, that alone makes this Ring Cycle a great buy. The new uses of the machine continue to delight the eye and support the story. Jay Hunter Morris has even more difficult acting here, and does an excellent job. But once again, it's Deborah Voigt who really knocked my socks off. She sounds truly heroic here, from the opening love scene with Siegfried, to the immolation scene, where she unleashes the full power and beauty of her voice. The end of the opera is lovely and moving, the depiction of the Rhine echoing the beginning in Das Rheingold, bringing the entire cycle back to where it began. I truly adored this bluray set, and recommend it highly.
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Top reviews from other countries
Beste Inszenierung, Orchester und Sänger. Die war mein 3. Kauf des Rings. Die beiden anderen Ring Gesamtaufnamen waren in jeder Beziehung minderwertigrn. Bin total begeistert! Hier ieht man was man aus einer Inszenierung machen kann und welchen Mist manche Opernhaus auf die Bühne bringen .
Absolute Top Inszenierung!
Reviewed in Germany on December 14, 2023