Wagner: Götterdämmerung - Nilsson, Windgassen, Greindl, Stewart, Mödl, Neidlinger, Dvoraková, Silja; Böhm. Bayreuth, 1967
$32.95
Description:
Pros:
- Birgit Nilsson is in sterling voice as Brünnhilde for this broadcast of Götterdämmerung that was aired the same year the commercial recordings were being taped.
- As Hagen, Josef Greindl's black bass has the perfect mix of sugar and venom.
- Martha Mödl's narrative as Waltraute is far superior to the version that was released, the odd mistake notwithstanding. Even with diminished vocal resources, this artist had the ability to transfix like few other sopranos could.
- There is no shortage of luxury casting, including Ludmila Dvorakova as Gutrune, Thomas Stewart as Gunther and Anja Silja as the Third Norn.
Cons:
- There are about eight or so very brief drop-outs (less than a second) throughout the performance.
In Stereo
OD 11622-4
Listen to a Sample:
Another Great Performance from the Bayreuth Festival!
The entire cast of this performance is terrific. Philips used this broadcast as the ground work for their commercial release. There are a few slips in words or rhythms here that, understandably, didn't make it into the final product (probably supplemented by rehearsal tapes and the Gotterdammerung performances from the previous year.) At any rate, it's a great performance and shows how high the standards were in Bayreuth. Nilsson is in typically excellent shape. Windgassen sounds amazingly fresh throughout and Greindl is unnerving with his baleful, sinister Hagen. Stewart and Dvorakova actually make something out of the Gibichung pair. Gutrune's essential, atmospheric monologue in Act Three was restored in this run (it had been cut the two previous years.) Someone at Philips must have realized the grievous error and insisted on its restoration. Modl's voice isn't what is was, but she could have spoken her part and been just as effective. Bohm leads his forces with authority, but always works with his singers. The sterei sound is very good if a little skewered to the right. There's some faint background rumble, but nothing that disrupts the music. All Ring lovers should hear this performance in one form or another!
