Good. Totally worth the price.
Jason M. Brunelle | Dallas, TX USA | 03/15/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"While I doubt this will replace anyone's favorite ring, I still rank it pretty high. It's easily on par with or better than the audio portions of the last 3 video rings I have seen (Haenchen, Copenhagen, and de Billy). This was recorded digitally and it shows. The sound mixing is perfect. Between the two I was able to hear some of the quieter orchestral elements clearly...moreso than an any other live recording I have heard. Incidentally, I (being in the minority I realize) have not enjoyed the studio recordings I have heard so this for me outranks several of the most lauded recordings. It has a very even cast especially considering that I had only heard of one of the opera singers before. I am referring to Bodo Brinkman who is in my favorite recording (Barneboim.) he is better in this recording, by the way. Honestly, for me this goes down as the ring cycle with the fewest problems. Unfortunately, beyond what I've listed above, there's nothing truly superb about the ring (in comparison to other recordings that is) so I cannot put this down as my favorite despite it's lack of problems. Long story short, I think anyone with more than a passing interest in the Ring should add this to their collection considering the price. Even if the price was doubled or trippled I think the price would be worth it for many."
For the price, you can't go wrong.
D. K. Croft | Everett, WA | 10/05/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This boxed set is a remarkable bargain (and contains 14 discs, not 10 as stated above). For the most part, the singers all do quite well; the most obvious failing is Brunhildes lack of a "top" - when I first heard the beginning portion of Walkure Act II, I couldn't help but laugh out loud - while singing Brunhilde's battle cry, she doesn't make it to the highest pitches, and her voice just stops - it's almost as if Florence Foster Jenkins lived in the digital age. On there other hand, her voice is strong and clear, and she does fine for most of the remainder of the cycle.
The performances are well conducted and recorded.
I must say, that although I only own excerpts from other recordings, it is clear this performance does not equal that found on the Solti, Boehm, von Karajan, Levine, etc. etc. recordings. Nevertheless, for the price, it's a great bargain; and it must be said that if I were to hear a performance of this quality in any but top ranked houses, I wouldn't be disappointed."
Track Listings (4) - Disc #1