Search - Wagner, Wordsworth, New Queen's Hall Orch :: Wagner: Six Overtures & Preludes

Lovely and inspired recording, but hard to come by!

Steven Guy | Croydon, South Australia | 09/12/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Want to know what Wagner sounds like on instruments from the 19th century? Look no further! The New Queen's Hall Orchestra have recorded six orchestral works from Richard Wagner's operas on period instruments.

Included are:

1. Overture: Rienzi

2. Overture: Tannhäuser

3. Prelude: Lohengrin (Act I)

4. Prelude: Tristan und Isolde (Act III)

5. Overture: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

6. Prelude and close of Act III: Parsifal



You'll hear gut strings, wooden flutes, French bassoons (superior in sound to the modern German models currently used in most orchestras), narrow-bore horns and brass, together with lighter percussion.



If you're a fan of Wagner, you'll find this recording very interesting and if you're not a fan of Wagner but would like at least one collection of his orchestral music for your collection, then this may be the one!



If you're an Early Music fan, then you gotta have this one! It really shows what the H.I.P. movement has done for even familiar music."