Immerse yourself in the epic grandeur of Richard Wagner's masterful compositions with this captivating live album, featuring excerpts from "Die Walküre" and "Götterdämmerung." Recorded live, this album captures the raw power and intricate beauty of Wagner's orchestration, conducted by the legendary Wilhelm Furtwängler. The album spans nearly three hours, offering a comprehensive journey through some of the most iconic moments in Wagner's Ring Cycle.
The album opens with the thrilling "Ride of the Valkyries" from "Die Walküre," a piece that has become synonymous with Wagner's dramatic genius. The live performance brings out the full force of the orchestra, with each note resonating with the energy of a live audience. The album then delves into the poignant and powerful scenes from "Die Walküre," including Wotan's farewell to Brünnhilde, a moment that showcases Wagner's ability to blend profound emotion with stunning musicality.
The second half of the album is dedicated to "Götterdämmerung," the concluding opera in Wagner's Ring Cycle. Here, the album features excerpts that highlight the opera's dramatic tension and emotional depth. From the dawn of the prologue to the climactic scenes involving Brünnhilde and Siegfried, each track is a testament to Wagner's unparalleled storytelling and musical innovation.
This live recording, released by Warner Classics, is a testament to the enduring legacy of Richard Wagner and the timeless appeal of his music. The album features a stellar cast of performers, including Kirsten Flagstad and Lauritz Melchior, whose powerful vocals bring Wagner's characters to life. Whether you are a seasoned opera enthusiast or a newcomer to Wagner's music, this album offers a rich and rewarding listening experience. The intricate Leitmotive, from Siegfried's radiant horn motif to the enchanting love theme, are beautifully executed, weaving a dense tapestry of symbolism and emotion that is characteristic of Wagner's genius.
Wagner: Die Walküre, Act 3, Scene 1: Ride of the Valkyries. "Hojotoho! Heiaha!" (Valkyries) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Edith Coates, Elsa Stenning, Evelyn Arden, Gladys Ripley, Gwladys Garside, Linda Seymour, Mae Craven, Thelma Bardsley, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Die Walküre, Act 3, Scene 1: "Schützt mich, und helft in höchster Not!" (Brünnnhilde, Sieglinde, Walyries) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Edith Coates, Elsa Stenning, Evelyn Arden, Gladys Ripley, Gwladys Garside, Kirsten Flagstad, Linda Seymour, Mae Craven, Maria Muller, Thelma Bardsley, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Die Walküre, Act 3, Scene 2: "Wo ist Brünnhild’, wo die Verbrecherin?" (Wotan, Brünnhilde) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Kirsten Flagstad, Rudolf Bockelmann, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Die Walküre, Act 3, Scene 2: "Hörtet ihr nicht, was ich verhängt?" (Wotan, Walkyries) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Edith Coates, Elsa Stenning, Evelyn Arden, Gladys Ripley, Gwladys Garside, Linda Seymour, Mae Craven, Rudolf Bockelmann, Thelma Bardsley, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Die Walküre, Act 3, Scene 3: "War es so schmählich, was ich verbrach" (Wotan, Brünnhilde) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Kirsten Flagstad, Rudolf Bockelmann, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Die Walküre, Act 3, Scene 3: "So tatest du, was so gern zu tun ich begehrt" (Wotan, Brünnhilde) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Kirsten Flagstad, Rudolf Bockelmann, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Die Walküre, Act 3, Scene 3: "In festen Schlaf verschliess ich dich" (Wotan, Brünnhilde) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Kirsten Flagstad, Rudolf Bockelmann, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Die Walküre, Act 3, Scene 3: "Leb wohl, du kühnes, herrliches Kind!" (Wotan) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Rudolf Bockelmann, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Die Walküre, Act 3, Scene 3: "Loge, hör'! Lausche hieher!" (Wotan) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Rudolf Bockelmann, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Prologue: Dawn (Live)Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Prologue: "Zu neuen Taten, teurer Helde" (Brünnhilde)Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Kirsten Flagstad, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Prologue: "Mehr gabst du, Wunderfrau" (Brünnhilde, Siegfried) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Kirsten Flagstad, Lauritz Melchior, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Prologue: "O heilige Götter" (Brünnhilde, Siegfried) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Kirsten Flagstad, Lauritz Melchior, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act 1, Scene 3: "Altgewohntes Geräusch" (Brünnhilde, Waltraute) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Kirsten Flagstad, Margarete Klose, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act 1, Scene 3: "Höre mit Sinn, was ich dir sage!" (Waltraute) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Margarete Klose, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act 1, Scene 3: "Welch banger Träume Mären" (Brünnhilde, Waltraute) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Kirsten Flagstad, Margarete Klose, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act 1, Scene 3: "Blitz und Gewölk" (Brünnhilde) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Kirsten Flagstad, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act 1, Scene 3: "Brünnhild’! Ein Freier kam" (Brünnhilde) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Kirsten Flagstad, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act 1, Scene 3: "Jetzt bist du mein" (Siegfried, Brünnhilde)Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Kirsten Flagstad, Lauritz Melchior, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act 2, Scene 4: "Heil dir, Gunther!" (Chorus) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Chorus of the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act 2, Scene 4: "Brünnhild’, die hehrste Frau" (Gunther, Chorus) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Chorus of the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, Herbert Janssen, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act 2, Scene 4: "Gegrüßt sei, teurer Held" (Gunther, Siegfried, Brünnhilde, Hagen, Chorus) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Chorus of the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, Herbert Janssen, Kirsten Flagstad, Lauritz Melchior, Ludwig Weber, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act 2, Scene 4: "Einen Ring sah ich an deiner Hand" (Gutrune, Gunther, Siegfried, Brünnhilde, Hagen) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Herbert Janssen, Kirsten Flagstad, Lauritz Melchior, Ludwig Weber, Maria Nezadal, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act 2, Scene 4: "Betrug! Betrug!" (Gutrune, Gunther, Siegfried, Chorus) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Chorus of the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, Herbert Janssen, Lauritz Melchior, Maria Nezadal, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act 2, Scene 4: "Helle Wehr! Heilige Waffe!" (Siegfried, Brünnhilde, Chorus) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Chorus of the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, Kirsten Flagstad, Lauritz Melchior, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act 2, Scene 4: "Glaub, mehr zürnt es mich als dich" (Siegfried) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Lauritz Melchior, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act 2, Scene 5: "Welches Unholds List" (Brünnhilde) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Kirsten Flagstad, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act 2, Scene 5: "Vertraue mir, betrog’ne Frau!" (Brünnhilde, Hagen) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Kirsten Flagstad, Ludwig Weber, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act 2, Scene 5: "Un dort trifft ihn mein Speer" (Brünnhilde, Hagen) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Kirsten Flagstad, Ludwig Weber, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act 2, Scene 5: "So soll es sein!" (Gunther, Brünnhilde, Hagen) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Herbert Janssen, Kirsten Flagstad, Ludwig Weber, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act 3, Scene 3: "Schweigt eures Jammers jauchzenden Schwall" (Gutrune, Brünnhilde) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Kirsten Flagstad, Maria Nezadal, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act 3, Scene 3: "Starke Scheite schichtet mir dort" (Brünnhilde) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Kirsten Flagstad, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act 3, Scene 3: "Wie Sonne lauter strahlt mir sein Licht" (Brünnhilde) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Kirsten Flagstad, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act 3, Scene 3: "O ihr, der Eide ewige Hüter!" (Brünnhilde) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Kirsten Flagstad, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act 3, Scene 3: "Mein Erbe nun nehm’ ich zu eigen" (Brünnhilde) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Kirsten Flagstad, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act 3, Scene 3: "Fliegt heim, ihr Raben!" (Brünnhilde) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Kirsten Flagstad, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act 3, Scene 3: "Grane, mein Roß, sei mir gegrüßt!" (Brünnhilde) [Live]Richard Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Kirsten Flagstad, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Richard Wagner, born in Leipzig, Germany, in 1813, is one of the most influential and revolutionary figures in the history of opera. Known for his groundbreaking compositions and innovative approach to music drama, Wagner's works are celebrated for their profound emotional depth and complex narratives. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Wagner wrote both the libretto and the music for his operas, allowing him to create a seamless fusion of poetry, music, and drama. His concept of the Gesamtkunstwerk, or "total work of art," aimed to integrate all aspects of the theatrical experience, making his operas a unique and immersive journey for the audience. Wagner's most famous work, the epic four-opera cycle "Der Ring des Nibelungen," is a testament to his visionary genius and remains a cornerstone of the operatic repertoire. Throughout his career, Wagner's contributions to music and theater have left an indelible mark on the world of classical music, making him a composer whose works continue to inspire and captivate audiences today.
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Richard Wagner
