Wagner’s Ring Cycle

April 6, 2020, 7:00 pm

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For most operas, a five-hour survey would more than cover every measure, every note – but not this one, Wagner’s crowning achievement. Bill helps us understand and enjoy this long and fanciful journey, with richly textured music that continues to grow in complexity as the operas proceed. Wagner spent a quarter of a century writing the libretto and composing the music that follows the struggles and dramas of gods, heroes, and mythical creatures. We will listen to orchestral preludes, arias, and more from The Rhinegold, The Valkyrie, Siegfried, and Twilight of the Gods.


Playlist

Episode 1

Weber: Overture fr. Der Freischütz (excerpt)
Berlin Phil/Karajan
Gemini – Schubert: Symphonies No 1-4, Etc / Karajan, Bpo
EMI 86064
:57

Wagner: Das Rheingold (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
7:24

Wagner: Das Rheingold (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
2:18

Wagner: Das Rheingold (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
6:13

Wagner: Das Rheingold (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
2:27

Wagner: Das Rheingold (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
1:35

Wagner: Das Rheingold (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
4:28

Wagner: Das Rheingold (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
0:57

Wagner: Das Rheingold (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
0:31

Wagner: Das Rheingold (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
5:02

Wagner: Das Rheingold (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
2:45

Wagner: Das Rheingold (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
3:53

Wagner: Das Rheingold (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
6:14

Wagner: Das Rheingold (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
3:22

Episode 2

Wagner: Die Walküre (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
2:03

Wagner: Die Walküre (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
0:25

Wagner: Die Walküre (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
1:03

Wagner: Die Walküre (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
1:21

Wagner: Die Walküre (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
15:20

Wagner: Die Walküre (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
2:36

Wagner: Die Walküre (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
1:50

Wagner: Die Walküre (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
1:30

Wagner: Die Walküre (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
0:33

Wagner: Die Walküre (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
5:28

Wagner: Die Walküre (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
2:32

Wagner: Die Walküre (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
0:33

Wagner: Die Walküre (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
2:53

Wagner: Die Walküre (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
14:45

Episode 3

Wagner: Die Walküre (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
3:30

Wagner: Die Walküre (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
3:54

Wagner: Die Walküre (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
5:47

Wagner: Die Walküre (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
9:14

Wagner: Die Walküre (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold / Sir Georg Solti
Lon 414101
22:42

Wagner: Siegfried: Forest Murmurs
Cleveland Orchestra/Szell
Wagner Without Words / George Szell, Cleveland Orchestra
CBS 46286
5:04

Episode 4

Wagner: Siegfried; Vorspiel
Vienna Phil/ Sir Georg Solti
Wagner: Siegfried / Solti, Nilsson, Hotter, Stolze
Lon 414110
5:11

Wagner: Siegfried; Vorspiel
Vienna Phil/ Sir Georg Solti
Wagner: Siegfried / Solti, Nilsson, Hotter, Stolze
Lon 414110
0:39

Wagner: Siegfried; Vorspiel
Vienna Phil/ Sir Georg Solti
Wagner: Siegfried / Solti, Nilsson, Hotter, Stolze
Lon 414110
4:34

Wagner: Siegfried; Vorspiel
Vienna Phil/ Sir Georg Solti
Wagner: Siegfried / Solti, Nilsson, Hotter, Stolze
Lon 414110
5:44

Wagner: Siegfried; Vorspiel
Vienna Phil/ Sir Georg Solti
Wagner: Siegfried / Solti, Nilsson, Hotter, Stolze
Lon 414110
5:04

Wagner: Siegfried; Vorspiel
Vienna Phil/ Sir Georg Solti
Wagner: Siegfried / Solti, Nilsson, Hotter, Stolze
Lon 414110
14:48

Wagner: Dawn & Siegfried’s Rhine Journey; Götterdämmerung
Philadelphia Orchestra/Ormandy
The Best of Richard Wagner
RCA Victrola 60777
13:09

Episode 5

Wagner: Götterdämmerung (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Gotterdammerung / Solti, Et Al
Lon 455569
2:25

Anna Russell: The Ring of the Nibelungs- An Analysis (excerpt)
Anna Russell, Harry Daorkin, John Coveart
The Anna Russell Album
Sony Classical Masterworks 47252
8:10

Wagner: Götterdämmerung (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Gotterdammerung / Solti, Et Al
Lon 455569
17:21

Wagner: Götterdämmerung (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/Solti
Wagner: Gotterdammerung / Solti, Et Al
Lon 455569
24:43