Wagner Complete Operas

After buying and listening to the two-disc compliation of Wagner Through the Ages to break the ice with Wagner's complex and dramatic compositions, I simply HAD to get some more of his work. Oddly enough, he is not one of the composers who has managed to make it among the composers featured in the Rise of The Masters collections, so I knew my search for a more well-rounded collection of his work would be somewhat of a challenging endeavor. That is, until I found THIS amazing hunk of treasure. All I can say is - WHAT A DEAL!!! In all honesty, I could not have asked for a better bargain to fullfill my quest for a complete collection of the legendary Richard Wagner's masterpieces. As a lover of dramatic, complex, over-the-top classical music/opera music, I was overwhelmed with joy when I finally received this in the mail. The beatiful, flowing operas hold listeners' attention and never fails to disappoint. It was a bit of a hassle to be able to get all the music onto my computer so that I could put it on my mobile devices, but completely worth it. It is also truly amazing to know just how much of a prolific career Wagner had during his lifetime. He is every bit as deserving of his legacy as a composer as legends like Beethoven, Mozart, Brahams or Bach are of their legacies. He may not be as well known as they are, but he matters every bit as much to music history as they do, no questions asked. As I have said in my review on the aforementioned two-disc compilation, it is over-the-top classical music such as this with which the dark and intense atmosphere in music began, and it did not originate with heavy metal, and as a die-hard metalhead, I am fully aware that this is the case. Wagner, along with Beethoven and Mozart were actually mentioned in the documentary, Metal: A Headbanger's Journey, when they talked about metal's musical origins, so that says something. Overall, this collection deserves to be in the collection of anyone who loves beautiful, dramatic classical/opera music. If you have what could be called culture, class, and an ear for great, timeless music, then I encourage you to pick up this collection without delay. There is a reason that it has stood the test of time, and that people still listen to it to this day, and even pay big bucks to see these operas performed. Most importantly, NONE of that non-artistic, talentless pop dance/rap/EDM trash can ever touch pure magic like this. That is like comparing a piece of dust to all the gold ever mined on earth. I shouldn't even have to say that, because that is just common sense. Anyways, just buy this already. You will be very glad that you did. :)

2013 marks the Bicentennial of Wagner and Verdi and what a great year to celebrate these two immortal OPERA champions. They are as different as one would wish yet both are worthy of close listening. Fortunately, the folks at EMI Decca and DG are on the ball with bargain sets of both famous darlings. This DG set blows my mind. At around TWO BUCKS per disk, we are treated to all of Wagner's operas in great performances. The key to Wagner is to simply let the marvelous sound wash over you until it works its way into your psyche like no other music can ... and what sumptuous sound and unbelievable singing are stored in these 43 CD's. First of all, the production and packaging are outstanding. There are DG, Decca and EMI recordings here and I have listed these so you can read the reviews already on Amazon for these recordings. The big box is a gem with FOUR pictures of R W at various stages of his life. WOW. Great pics DG!!! The booklet is just fine and you have access to the German-English librettos on the DG website. They download as PDF files are are eminently useful. Thanks for the great packaging! Here are the operas with the recording year and conductor. (You can use these to read all the reviews already written for these recordings.) Die Freen (DG) rec 1972 Sir Edward Downes Das Liebesverbot (DG) rec 1975 Sir Edward Downes Rienzi rec 1976 (EMI) Heinrich Hollreiser Der Fliegende Hollander (DG) rec 1981 Giuseppe Sinopoli Tannhauser (DG) rec 1988 Giuseppe Sinopoli Lohengrin (Decca) rec 1985-6 Sir Georg Solti Der Ring Des Nibelungen (DG) rec 1987-88 Metropolitan Opera James Levine Tristan und Isolde (DG) rec 1980-82 Carlos Kleiber Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg (DG) rec 1976 Eugen Jochum Parsifal (Decca) 1972 Sir Georg Solti These are all at least FOUR star performances and many are FIVE star. The Ring cycle is the earlier one with James Morris as Wotan. (Morris is a wonderful Wotan ... far better than Terfel in my opinion.) The playing of the Metropolitan orchestra is simply beautiful and does indeed wash over you with terrific beauty. The Isolde of Margaret Price is also very special and the Carlos Kleiber recording is worth the price of the set if it were the only recording. I have not had the time to listen to all these recordings but so far, all these performances are more than one could ask for. I'll try and upgrade my reviews as I savor the recordings but in the meantime, I strongly recommend the purchase of this big WAGNER box. There may be a few recordings out there which are better but these deserve repeated hearings and I have yet to be disappointed.

I have purchased this set, but my family won't let me have it until Father'sDay. This is a huge Father's Day present for me. However, even though I haven't yet listened, I am writing a review. My review is based on three sources: the 2008 Penguin Guide, the 1988 Metropolitan Opera Guide, and the authors, experts, and authorities listed on [...]. From all appearances, these are excellent to superb recordings. First of all, out of Wagner's mature period (say Dutchman onward), not less than FOUR of these recordings are listed at the very top of the list of available recordings by the Penguin Guide! The Metropolitan Opera Guide also lists many of these recordings as being on the top of their list. Of those recordings not especially noted in either of these two guides, the rest all receive highest recommendations from numerous Wagner authorities on wagneropera.net. On top of all these accolades, four of these operas feature the glorious voiced Placido Domingo as the lead tenor. What more needs to be said?!? [Other than that, one of them, Lohengrin, also features the incomparable Jessye Norman! As does Vakyrie] As for the Tristan, well it has its detractors. However, I remember very well when this performance was released in the 80's. It was HIGHLY acclaimed. And may I add that the conductor, Carlos Kleiber, is held in incredibly high esteem. He's practically a conducting legend. As for the comment elsewhere that the Meistersinger is a DISASTER/TRAIN WRECK. Well, I mean, let's be serious. The chances of a performance with the likes of Dietrich Fischer-Diskau, the gloriously-voiced Christa Ludwig, and Placido Domingo, adding up to a train-wreck are about one in a million. I am not a long-standing Wagner aficionado. I consider myself a rather new student of Wagner (which is why I am thrilled with coming to own this set). While I may not be an aficionado, I have had more than a passing exposure to the wonders of Wagner. In the 70's, I attended some wonderful Wagner productions in San Francisco. This included a Tannhauser with Jess Thomas and Leonie Rysanek, a Valkyrie with Rysanek and Jon Vickers, and a Tristan with Birgit Nilsson, Jess Thomas, Yvonne Minton, and Kurt Moll. Having said that, I have listened to excerpts from this complete set of CDs and they all sound wonderful! This is a limited edition. If you're on the fence on this one, don't be. A bargain of this quality is not likely to come our way, again, any time soon.

I have always wanted a complete set of Wagner's operas and now, for a reasonable price I have it all. I, at first, was a bit taken back by the few reviews criticizing the packaging, however, I found this to be a very minor issue. At least the disks won't fall out on their own. The important thing is the music that comes from each disk, three per opera, starting with his earliest pieces. I have seldom recognized deficiencies in productions featuring lesser known orchrasters; and truthfully, these productions feature talent known around the world, and I am happy now to include them in my personal collection. If you love Wagner, and want a great addition to your musical library, this box of goodies is a "must have".

Twenty years ago, I visited Neuschwanstein Castle. This year I finally got around to reading The Swan King, a solid biography of Mad King Ludwig. I was surprised to learn about Ludwig's (aka Parsifal) tumultuous relationship with Wagner - so I then read The Wagner Clan, a great read. So, I decided to jump in with both feet and immerse myself in The Master's work. Three word review: buy this set ... now. The set is complete (all 13 operas), the quality is fantastic, and the performances are superb. Jessye Norman's Sieglinde (Die Walkure) breaks my heart. If you choose to buy individual operas or another (partial) set, caveat emptor ... I bought a 4-disc Die Walkure at my local used book store (Edward McKay, Greensboro NC, great store!) - it is atrocious. It sounds like it was recorded in an elementary school cafeteria, and half of the audience has a head cold. So, save yourself the time and the trouble. Buy this set.

I can't believe I got all this music for this low price. The DG Tannhauser alone, bought separately, would have been around 38 bucks -- and I got ALL the operas for around 100 dollars. The set has the Met Levine Ring with Hildegard Behrens, now sadly deceased. The Parsifal was like hearing the piece for the first time.

This is a super deal! The cost comes out to about $2.00 per CD. The performances are first-rate. Each opera has a German libretto with English translation--even for Wagner's three early operas "Die Feen," "Das Liebesverbot," and "Rienzi." Highly recommended!

The set was advertised as used but it was actually a brand new one. The CDs were untouched. Perhaps it was one of those outlet deals for some retailer. Could not be more satisfied.

Dopo la EMI, anche la DG festeggia i 200 anni della nascita di Wagner con un bel cofanetto e a prezzo superconveniente. Per chi avesse letto le mie note sul cofanetto EMI, dico subito che i punti di forza di questo Box DG sono la completezza (contiene anche le tre opere "giovanili" di Wagner) e la confezione elegante, pratica e robusta, pensata in modo intelligente per un frequente utilizzo. Questo box è anche superiore per qualità audio, contenendo registrazioni per la maggior parte digitali, in DDD e se in ADD, di qualità leggendaria "Decca". La qualità artistica complessiva, direttori e cast vocale, è invece superiore per il box della EMI, eccetto che per le ultime due opere, il Tristan und Isolde, qui nella leggendaria versione di Carlos Kleiber, e il Parsifal, qui nella bella edizione affidata a Solti con i Wiener Philarmoniker. Belle anche le due opere affidate a Sinopoli, l'Olandese volante e il Tannhauser, che, seppure non superiori a quelle contenute nel box EMI, reggono bene il confronto. Le quattro opere del Ring sono quelle dirette da Levine con la Metropolitan Orchestra e solisti eccellenti, ma in una lettura un pò "superficiale", seppure elegante e patinata e in fondo godibile. È pure vero che, per io bassissimo prezzo di vendita, chiedere di più sarebbe davvero "chiedere la luna", ma con il Ring diretto da Karajan o Solti questo box sarebbe stato "imbattibile"! Ma nel complesso le cinque stelle, proprio in considerazione del rapporto qualità prezzo elevatissimo, sono tutte meritate! Un box che è un "invito irresistibile" per chi vuole conoscere Wagner, e conoscerlo con esecuzioni di alto livello. Buon ascolto a tutti....

Bien que très complets, je trouve personnellement les commentaires sur ce produit bien sévères, qui ne mérite pas un tel mépris pseudo intellectuel. Déjà l'objet est complet: on a tous les opéras de Wagner !! plutôt joli, solide, avec des illustrations sobres mais pas de mauvais goût pour les pochettes de disques, un livret assez complet, sans le texte des opéras néanmoins téléchargeable sur le site de dg. Les trois opéras de jeunesse ont le mérite d'être présents et ne sont pas dans des mauvaises versions. Sinopoli signe un vaisseau fantôme de référence et un splendide Tannhauser. Le Tristan de Kleiber est une référence et on ne présente plus les maîtres de Jochum. Venons en aux enregistrements 'décriés' . Il y a le ring de Levine, pourtant à mon sens l'un des plus beaux rings récents, magnifique prise de son, bel orchestre, chanteurs solides sans morphing et changement de casting comme chez Karajan ou Solti. Le moins bon de ce coffret serait peut être tout d'abord le Parsifal de Solti qui a la réputation d'être un peu froid, mais que je trouve très beau, et surtout son Lohengrin. Cela reste toutefois quand même très bon. Après oui, j'aurai préféré le Lohengrin d'Abbado excellent que je n'ai pas qui est label dg, ou celui de Kubelik avec Janowitz, et un Parsifal dg levine ou karajan pour une meilleure cohérence du coffret, mais à ce prix là, pour le néophyte, c'est très bien, surtout que les wagnerophiles comme les commentateurs ou moi-même, on croule déjà sous une bonne partie des enregistrements précités à l'unité. Le livret possède pas mal de photos et est bien documenté en plus. Pour moins d'une centaine d'euros, c'est exceptionnel, à titre de comparaison, les seuls maîtres de Jochum coûtaient 90 euros au début des années 2000.

Some reviewers have commented that none of these recordings would be 'first choices' for the works concerned. Peronally, I would disagree: both the Solti Parsifal and the Lohengrin are, to my mind, the finest recordings of these operas to be had, certainly in stereo; I also highly esteem Carlos Kleiber's unique but hardly controversial recording of Tristan Und Isolde (even if CK himself was, apparently, not that keen on it). The Sinopoli Tannhauser may not be the best there is (that palm goes to the Solti) but I'd say it IS certainly the best of the digital era. Domingo is all over this box: he appears in no less than four operas and, while I take the point that his singing isn't always idiomatic, it is a refreshing change to hear this kind of voice in this kind of repertoire. I particularly like what his Italianate style adds to Lohengrin, making the titular character really sound like a being from another world. Elsewhere, we have Levine's underestimated Ring cylce from the late 80s/early 90s. This may not be a total success, but the recording quality is still superb and anything that features performances by the likes of James Morris and Jessye Norman in their prime cannot be discounted. Sinopoli's Hollander is also an interesting interpretation, which illuminates the affinity Wagner had with bel canto opera, something that is rarely acknowledged. Which leaves the recordings of Die Feen and Das Liebesverbot....DG has been extremely enterprising in obtaining the rights to these BBC recordings, as they make it a clincher over EMI's rival set, which does not include the first two. Both performances are excellent and the recordings hold up well next to the glossier ones from Decca/DG sources. I only wish that they could have licensed Downes's recording of Rienzi as well, rather than duplicating it with the Hollreiser recording featured in the EMI box; the Downes version was, apparently, fuller. So, all in all, this is an excellent bargain: a pretty good bet for someone new to Wagner, too, though no one recording can ever be definitive.

これ、面白いです。 あえて定番中の定番と言うものは避けているような気がします。お陰様で嬉しいことに手持ちとの重複はシノポリ版のタンホイザーだけで済みました。で、それでは聴く価値がないかとか、つまらないかとか、そんなことがあるかと言えば全くありません。非常に面白いのです。 例えばクライバー氏のトリスタン。引き締まった名演です。これはもう定番と言っても良いポジションとは思いますが、トリスタンもなかなかの激戦区、クライバー版も大変良いと言う評判は聞いていても全曲は聞いていない人もいるでしょう。ヨッフム氏のオペラ指揮者としての実力は不勉強にも私は知りませんでしたが、このマイスターも大変面白いです。静かな序曲が印象的で必ずしも得意分野ではなさそうなローエングリンやパルジファルにショルティ氏をぶつけて来るところも最高に面白いです。ウィーンフィルや当時のデッカの録音も含めての評価になりますが、聞き応え十分。文句無し。 もちろんメトのリングも素晴らしい水準ですし、滅多にお目にかかれない初期3作品もなかなかのもの。これらは今回初めて聴きましたが、ワーグナーは初めからワーグナーだったんだなあ、と楽しく聴けました。 本当に選曲のセンスは興味深いと思います。ワーグナー全曲を集めるために使えるレーベルから適当に選んだわけでは決してなく、「もしかしたら聞いたこと無いかもしれないけど、これも本当に良いから是非聞いてみてよ」何ていう選曲者の声が聞こえてきそうなセットです。 で、これがこのお値段。ずっと昔のCD1枚4,000円前後だった時代を知っている世代としては感無量です。DVDも程々のお値段で手に入る時代でもありますので、あえて今更CD？という疑問も確かにありますが、こういう世代は昔少々無理して購入したCDプレーヤーなどもあったりして、DVDプレーヤーよりも好みの音で鳴ってくれたりしますし、やはり結構重宝するんですよね。それにこういう超大作は、結局「ながら」で聞いたりする機会も多かったりしますので、映像は無い方が便利なケースも多々あります。まあ、こんな条件にピンと来るものがあれば一聴の価値は大いにありと思うわけです。 個人的には大変良い買い物をさせて頂いたと思っています。コスパも考えると星の最大が5つであることが残念なくらいです。

Für mich als alten Wagnerianer der schon fast alle diese Einspielungen besass hat es eine längere Zeit benötigt um mir die Box dann doch noch zu kaufen. Aber aufgrund der Einspielungen unter Downes von den Opern Liebesverbot und Die Feen, die anderswo nur zu utopischen Preisen zu beziehen sind hab ich den Schritt gewagt. Die Operneinspielungen welche ich schon besass werde oder habe ich schon verkauft. Aber allein schon wegen der besagten Operneinspielungen unter Downes aus Manchester hat sich die Anschaffung schon gelohnt.