Anyone that might be intimidated by the 4 operas that make up Wagner's Ring might find this on CD a great introduction to the Ring. It is 77 minutes of magic taken from all of the four operas: Das Rheingold, Die Walkure, Siegfried, and Gotterdammerung. Headliner singers like Jessye Norman, Christa Ludwig, Kathleen Battle and James Morris turn in performances that we are lucky to have on record. Perhaps the most important aspect of Wagner's Ring is the orchestra itself. Because of that, something must be said of James Levine and his Metropolitan Orchestra. From his orchestra, James Levine creates an environment in each scene that truly depicts what is happening. Though the music itself if just played strictly as written works well, when it's brought out intelligently and with emotion as Levine does, the Ring becomes something magical and the thought of gods, dragons, magical rings, etc. becomes believeable for the time that you're listening to it.
Perhaps the most involved, complex and definitely the longest of operas, the Ring is an achievement of a lifetime. It is something that should continue to live on through each generation. Here is a great summary to the monumental work.
01. Das Rheingold: "Lugt, Schwestern! Die Weckerin lacht in den Grund" [ Ekkehard Wlaschiha] (6:41)
02. Das Rheingold: "Zur Burg führt die Brücke" [Morris,Ludwig,Jerusalem] (9:41)
03. Die Walküre: "Der Männer Sippe saß hier im Saal" [Jessye Norman] (4:39)
04. Die Walküre: Walkürenritt (5:49)
05. Die Walküre: "Der Augen leuchtendes Paar" [James Morris] (14:31)
06. Siegfried: "Aber, wie sah meine Mutter wohl aus?" [Reiner Goldberg] (8:31)
07. Siegfried: "Nun sing! Ich lausche dem Gesang" [Goldberg,Kathleen Battle] (4:20)
08. Siegfried: "Heil dir, Sonne! Heil dir, Licht!" [Hildegard Behrens] (7:10)
09. Götterdämmerung: Trauermarsch (8:02)
10. Götterdämmerung: "Fliegt heim, ihr Raben!" [Behrens, Matti Salminen] (7:53)
Die Walküre: "Der Männer Sippe saß hier im Saal" [Jessye Norman]
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