J. H. Gaulard | London United Kingdom | 01/31/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The only point in adding anything to RCL's remarkable review of this set of Meistersinger is just to make clear that this underrated recording needs to be seriously rehabilitated. I strongly encourage happy owners of this set to come on Amazon and share their enthusiasm, because this 4 CD-set is a hidden gem.
Amazingly, Solti himself complained about the orchestra having a bad day, the singers having a bad day and even the conductor having a bad day. Maybe because he was supposed to have Ridderbusch as Sachs and Fischer-Dieskau as Beckmesser, and ended up with a second-choice cast. In any case, he re-recorded Meistersinger 20 years later in Chicago, but his initial 1975 effort (reviewed here) was really not worth all this hatred (generally shared by professional reviewers).
In any case the "second-choice" cast ends up being more than "world-class" on this occasion. The team of singers assembled here were pillars of Bayreuth in the 1970s and were used to perform as a team together, particularly in these parts. Norman Bailey makes for a fantastic Hans Sachs, much more convincing than his Hollander: the voice is ample and secure, the ensembles are fantastic, the Wahnmonolog very moving and the "Verachtet mir" is absolutely HUGE. This Hans Sachs is clearly an "action man", determined to save Walther - at whatever the cost. Bailey may portray a single-minded cobbler, but this is very efficient - and very musical too.
Hannelore Bode makes for a young, enthusiastic Eva. Listen to her "Oh Sachs mein Freund", there is a lot of impetuosity and abandon in the singing here. Bernd Weikl makes for a fantastic Beckmesser because he was very young at this stage of his career, so the voice is in glorious shape: Weikl sings every line of the part - a change versus common practice. Kollo remains in my view a really good Walther: a very sunny upper register, a bit less ease than with Karajan five years earlier but still exactly the lyrical qualities that should be expected from this part. It is also worth noting a very virtuoso David by Dallapozza and a rather tame Magdalene by Hamari.
This recording also owes a lot to Solti. All the singers, as I have pointed out before, are all stage animals, well-used to their parts but Sir Georg also helps by always moving the story forward: there are no moments of contemplation that were plaguing his Lohengrin...By listening to this Meistersinger I really had the feeling of a consistent theatrical performance, not a studio-based effort. I think that the usual enthusiasm of the conductor and the stage experience of the singers make for a very exciting recording, strongly recommend. Sachs fans will want to hear Friedrich Schorr in the part (with Rethberg and Bodanzky conducting, 1936, MET) as well as Paul Schoeffler (in Abendroth - Bayreuth 1943 or Bohm - Vienna 1944). Don't forget Ferdinand Frantz either with Kempe in Berlin 1956).
"
Inspiration for listening to opwe
A. Douglas Ordunio | Glendale, CA | 01/25/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This was the recording that turned my head around about opera when it was first released. When I heard the end of the second act, it coerced me to listen to the Ring, Tristan, Fligende Hollander, and others. There is nothing like it in the recorded repertoire! An amazing performance.
Splendidly recorded and performed. I don't think there is another Meistersinger like it. The end of the second act is the benchmark for all recordings of Wagner's sole comedy."
Better than Karajan's Meistersinger thanks to a better Sachs
KC | London, England | 12/13/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Bailey is a huge improvement over Theo Adam as Sachs for Karajan. The orchestral detail is first rate. I prefer this to Kubelik's, Karajan's and Sawallisch. The cast are all strong. Kollo as Walther is the same as in the Karajan set recorded five years earlier. It is a pity Solti didn't have a Vicker's or even Domingo (even with his latin pronunciation). Walther would be better with more heft in the voice. However, Kollo is reliable and has a youthful tone. I prefer him to Konya in Kubelik's set, whom everyone seems to rave over. I can hear no noticeable deterioration from Kollo's Karajan recording in 71. Even Solti's Beckmesser is an improvement over Karajan's. I think this has to be one of the best studio Meistersingers available. It has no serious weaknesses at any rate. Worth the investment."
An Outstanding--and Underrated--*Meistersinger*
Johannes Climacus | Beverly, Massachusetts | 02/15/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"*Meistersinger* was the only Wagner opera that Solti recorded twice, and the two versions make for fascinating comparisons. The later, digital version (from the mid-1990's) reflects the aging Solti's predilection for chamber-music intimacy over bombast, sculpted phrasing over angular accents. While the veteran conductor's change of heart (and style) left us with some unexpectedly sensitive renditions of standard orchestral repertoire, oratorio and opera, his later style is less suited to Wagner's most celebratory work. Not only does Solti's digital version fail to convey a requisite sense of spectacle, to say nothing of majesty, in the appropriate places, the singing is also surprisingly lackluster. José van Dam, in particular, is a singularly disappointing Sachs--often insecure vocally and nondescript in characterization; nor do the other principals sound particularly engaged. Perhaps this impression reflects the vicissitudes of a "concert" (rather than a staged, or "studio-staged") performance.
Solti's first recording, offered for the first time in a lower price bracket, is another matter. From the sizzling Prelude to the glorious final peroration, the conductor galvanizes his singers and orchestra to convey this unique opera's heady combination of exultation, rumination, and high comedy. Even though Bode and Kollo are, from a vocal standpoint, far from ideal as Eva and Walther, they are more completely inside their roles than their vocally more glamorous counterparts in Solti II. Dalipozza and Hamari sing mellifluously and act convincingly in the difficult roles of David and Magdalene; both characters emerge as warmly human rather than (as is sometimes the case) tiresomely corny. Weikl is an outstanding Beckmesser: one of the few who genuinely sings rather than snarls, and for that reason he seems a more plausible, and pathetic, character than usual. Moll's warm, sonorous voice is just right for Pogner (as it was perfectly suited for Sarastro). But undoubtedly it is Norman Bailey's resplendent Sachs that crowns this performance, He brings to this role a combination of gorgeously ample tone, deeply expressive phrasing and genial characterization that brings to mind Friedrich Schorr's classic portrayal.
Solti's conducting is everything it should be in this work--majestic, high-spirited and lucid Every strand of Wagner's densely contrapuntal textures emerges clearly and distinctly. Nor do I hear anything like the "squareness" of rhythmic articulation and phrasing of which some reviewers have complained (cf. the editors of the *Penguin Guide*). The orchestral playing, choral singing and recording are all top notch as well (despite some patches of sour tone from the VPO oboist). I particularly appreciate the almost perfect balance of orchestral choirs, and of voices "on stage" in relation to the orchestra, achieved by both conductor and engineers. Given the excellent presentation (with full libretto, albeit with very small type) and modest price tag, this could be a first choice for anyone exploring this astonishing work (arguably the greatest opera every written) for the first time. Veteran Wagnerians will also want to consider it, if only to hear Norman Bailey's glorious Sachs."