“The greatest genius that ever lived” proclaimed WH Auden, while Rossini said that Wagner had “beautiful moments but awful quarters of an hour.” Love him or hate him, Wagner is an undeniable force who stretched tonality and orchestration to their utmost limits. This week (and next) we celebrate Wagner’s 200th birthday in grand style with programs filled to the brim with his music.
Wagner, Richard
Playlist
Episode 1
Richard Wagner: Lohengrin, Act III Prelude (excerpt)
Philadelphia Orchestra/Christian Thielemann
DG 4534852
:58
Wagner: Faust Overture (excerpt)
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra/Jeffrey Tate
EMI 7491962
1:09
Wagner: Overture to Rienzi (excerpt)
London Philharmonic Orchestra/Sir Adrian Boult
EMI 7631222
1:44
Wagner: Overture to Der Fliegende Holländer
Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Georg Solti
Lon 411951
11:09, :38
Wagner: “Jo-Ho-Hoe! Trafft Ihr Das Schiff” fr. Der
Fliegende Holländer
London Philharmonic Orchestra/Klaus Tennstedt; Jessye
Norman, sop.
EMI 7497592
8:37
Wagner: Overture and Baccanale from Tannhauser
Metropolitan Opera Orchcestra/James Levine
DG 435 874-2
22:35
Dvorák: Carnival Overture (excerpt)
Cleveland Orchestra/Szell
Sony 63151
1:05
Episode 2
Wagner: “Dich, Teure Halle, Gruß Ich Weider,” from
Tannhauser
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Claudio Abbado;
Cheryl Studer, s.
DG 439768-2
3:16
Wagner: “Entrance of the Guests,” from Tannhauser, Act II(excerpts)
Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra/Halasz
:20, 2:12
Wagner: “Wie Todesahnung Dammrung Deckt Die Lande… O Du
Mein Holder Abendstern,” From Tannhauser
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Claudio Abbado
DG 439 768-2
5:48
Wagner: Act 1: Prelude, from Lohengrin
Philadelphia Orchestra/Christian Thielemann
DG 4534852
9:49
Wagner: “Mein Lieber Schwan,” from Lohengrin
Philadelphia Orchestra/Eugene Ormandy
Lauritz Melchior
RCA 7914-2
4:26
Wagner: Act 3: Prelude, from Lohengrin
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra/James Levine
DG 435 874-2
3:32
Wagner: Albumblatt in C Major
Eugene Ysaye, violin; Camille DeCreus, piano
Sony 62337
4:14
Wagner: Act 1: Prelude, from Tristan Und Isolde
Philharmonia Orchestra/Wilhelm Furtwangler
Ludwig Suthaus, Kirsten Flagstad
Royal Opera House Chorus
11:01
Wagner: “Der Engel” from Wesendonck-Lieder
Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin/Donald Runnicles
Jonas Kaufmann, tenor
Decca B0018028-02
3:12
Episode 3
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde (excerpts)
Philharmonia Orchestra & Royal Opera House Chorus/Wilhelm
Furtwangler; Ludwig Suthaus, Kirsten Flagstad, Dietrich
Fischer-Dieskau, Blanche Thebom, etc.
EMI 56254
:24, 3:14, 1:23, 7:05, 27:42, 7:22
Episode 4
Mozart: Symphony #41 in C, K551, IV (excerpt)
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields/Neville Marriner
Phil 412954
1:01
Wagner: Overture from Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg
Philadelphia Orchestra/Christian Thielemann
DG 453485
10:24
Wagner: Act 1: Prelude, from Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg
(excerpt)
Glenn Gould, piano
Sony 52650
9:41
Wagner: Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg (excerpts)
CSO/Georg Solti; Jose Van Dam, Ben Heppner, etc.
Decca 452606
5:24, 7:18, 13:24, 3:08
Wagner: “Was Duftet Doch Der Flieder,” from Die
Meistersinger Von Nurnberg
Berlin Phlilharmonic Orchestra/Claudio Abbado; Bryn Terfel,
bass bar.
DG 471348
6:35
Episode 5
Wagner: Parsifal (excerpts)
Bayreuth Festival Orchestra & Chorus/Hans Knappertsbusch;
Jess Thomas, Irene Dalis, etc.
Phil 464756
12:02, 35:08
