Building a Collection #1: Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring)
And a review of selected recordings
Building a Collection #1
Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring Cycle) by Richard Wagner
Welcome to the first entry in Building a Classical Music Collection and the Top 250 classical works of all-time. I am greatly looking forward to this journey, and I sincerely hope you agree to join me along the way.
We begin with Richard Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung). The Ring is actually four musical dramas that are played in sequence: Das Rheingold, Die Walkure, Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung. Note: Some of the information for this post comes from previous posts I have published on Wagner, with some edits.
Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung), WWV 86, is a cycle of four German-language epic music dramas composed by Richard Wagner. Often referred to as the “Ring Cycle”, Wagner wrote both the libretto and music for all four dramas, and they were completed between the years of 1848 and 1874. It remains the longest, most ambitious, and most influential work in operatic literature.
Richard Wagner (1813-1883) was one of the most revolutionary individuals in the history of music. He made extremely important contributions to music in terms of harmony and musical drama that have continued to be used today. His music is often characterized by tonal instability, chromaticism (using notes that vary from the primary tonal key of the work), lush harmonies, a sense of restlessness, and most of all the flexible use of specific musical themes called leitmotifs associated with certain characters or pivotal points in the plot. Wagner used leitmotifs to guide the listener to what is going on as a subtext to what is happening on stage.
Wagner excelled in writing huge dramas, the bigger the better, and he perfected the grandiose in opera. He termed these works “music dramas” rather than “operas”, as he conceived them to not contain traditional arias and the music serves as a vehicle for the drama or emotions. While each of the Ring works may be performed separately because events in previous operas are indeed mentioned (Die Walkure is the one most often performed individually), Wagner intended them to be performed in series. The first performance of the complete cycle took place at the Bayreuth Festival in Germany in 1876 (Bayreuth is Wagner’s own festival primarily created to perform and celebrate his own works). It was an overwhelming success, with stage director Anthony Freud stating that the cycle, “marks the high-water mark of our art form, the most massive challenge any opera company can undertake."
The cycle is modeled after ancient Greek dramas, which often contained three tragedies and a satyr. Das Rheingold is seen as the prelude, with the other three dramas comprising the actual cycle. The cycle is massive in scope and scale, with total running time about 15 hours, and requiring larger orchestral and vocal forces than virtually any other classical work. The content covers the travails of gods, heroes, and other mythological creatures as they strive to possess the magical ring which grants power and domination. The cycle takes us through three generations of characters until the final storm of Götterdämmerung.
It appears Wagner’s original inspiration for The Ring came from that 12th century German poem Niebelungenlied, but he also fused together other German, Norse, and Scandinavian myths and folk-tales. Regarding the title, The Ring of the Nibelung, the name “Nibelung” in German is a personal or clan name with several various uses going back to German heroic legend. The German heroic epic Nibelungenlied takes its name from Nibelung. In Norse legend, Nibelung is used to denote the Burgundian royal house, also known as the Gibichungs (German) or Gjúkingar (Old Norse). A group of royal brothers led by king Gunther or Gunnar, the Gibichungs are responsible for the death of the hero Siegfried or Sigurd and are later destroyed at the court of Attila the Hun. However, in medieval Germany, Nibelung came to mean the inhabitants of a mythical land of dwarfs and giants from the Nibelungenlied.
For Wagner, a Nibelung is a dwarf, and in this case the dwarf is named Alberich. The ring in question is one Alberich fashions from the Rhine Gold. So it may be thought of as “Alberich’s Ring”.
The four dramas, in order of how they are performed in the cycle, are:
Das Rheingold (The Rhinegold)
Die Walküre (The Valkyrie)
Siegfried (Siegfried)
Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods)
After somewhat ambivalent reactions from the public to several previous Wagner operas, he declared:
“I shall never write an Opera more. As I have no wish to invent an arbitrary title for my works, I will call them Dramas ...
I propose to produce my myth in three complete dramas, preceded by a lengthy Prelude (Vorspiel)...
At a specially-appointed Festival, I propose, some future time, to produce those three Dramas with their Prelude, in the course of three days and a fore-evening. The object of this production I shall consider thoroughly attained, if I and my artistic comrades, the actual performers, shall within these four evenings succeed in artistically conveying my purpose to the true Emotional (not the Critical) Understanding of spectators who shall have gathered together expressly to learn it.”
From a musical point of view the textures are thick, heavy, and complex. Wagner enlarged the brass section of the orchestra with unusual instruments such as the Wagner tuba, the bass trumpet, and the contrabass trombone. However, he uses a chorus very little. The theatre Wagner had built specially to perform The Ring is called the Bayreuth Festspielhaus, and was allegedly built for voices to blend well with the orchestra, allowing the singers to sing at their natural volume rather than oversinging. Vocal strain was (and remains) a serious concern given the long performances and the huge demands placed on the singers by Wagner.
Below is an extremely condensed synopsis of The Ring. However, if you are truly interested in learning more about Wagner and The Ring, my personal view is that further study is required to gain the most enjoyment out of this epic. You may want to invest in a good translation of the libretti and perhaps do some research on a good book or two on The Ring. Speaking for myself, I have only recently begun to devote time to learning more about Wagner and The Ring. Even to listen to the entire Ring on a recording requires setting aside quite a bit of time. For many, myself included, Wagner is an acquired taste. In fact the more I listen and read, the more I learn and the more I enjoy it.
For a detailed examination of Wagner's sources for the Ring and his treatment of them, see, among other works, Deryck Cooke's unfinished study of the Ring, I Saw the World End (2000), and Ernest Newman's Wagner Nights (1949). Also useful is a translation by Stewart Spencer Wagner's 'Ring of the Nibelung': A Companion (1993), edited by Barry Millington, which also contains essays, including one on the source material which provides an English translation of the entire text that strives to remain faithful to the early medieval Stabreim technique Wagner used.
The synopsis below is from Wikipedia, but you may also want to read these more in-depth synopses links from the Metropolitan Opera, New York:
https://www.metopera.org/user-information/synopses-archive/das-rheingold
https://www.metopera.org/user-information/synopses-archive/die-walkure
https://www.metopera.org/user-information/Synopses-Archive/siegfried/
https://www.metopera.org/user-information/synopses-archive/gotterdammerung
Very briefly, the plot revolves around a magic ring that grants the power to rule the world, forged by the Nibelung dwarf Alberich from gold he stole from the Rhine maidens in the river Rhine. With the assistance of the god Loge, Wotan – the chief of the gods – steals the ring from Alberich, but is forced to hand it over to the giants Fafner and Fasolt in payment for building the home of the gods, Valhalla, or they will take Freia, who provides the gods with the golden apples that keep them young.
Wotan's schemes to regain the ring, spanning generations, drive much of the action in the story. His grandson, the mortal Siegfried, wins the ring by slaying Fafner (who slew Fasolt for the ring) – as Wotan intended – but is eventually betrayed and slain as a result of the intrigues of Alberich's son Hagen, who wants the ring for himself.
Finally, the Valkyrie Brünnhilde – Siegfried's lover and Wotan's daughter who lost her immortality for defying her father in an attempt to save Siegfried's father Sigmund – returns the ring to the Rhine maidens as she commits suicide on Siegfried's funeral pyre. Hagen is drowned as he attempts to recover the ring. In the process, the gods and Valhalla are destroyed.
Musically speaking, Wagner used a lot of tonal ambiguity in the Ring, where his liberal use of dissonance and chromaticism gives much of the cycle a feeling of uncertainty and darkness. Wagner’s increasing use of atonal elements put him at the forefront of modern music, and these trends continued and increased in the 20th century.
Recordings
Below are listed the most recommended Ring cycles. In addition to those listed, complete sets from Karajan, Furtwangler, Knappertsbusch, Kempe, and Bohm also have great assets if you have the time to listen to them. There is general agreement among critics and reviewers that the quality of Wagner singers declined after the 1960s, and so there seems to be a paucity of truly great Wagner performances on record from recent decades. Many singers avoid Wagner due to the reputation of his music that it damages or destroys voices and careers. This may be the reason most of the best Ring cycles date from the 1950s and 1960s.
Top Choice
Sir Georg Solti’s studio recording of Wagner’s complete Ring with the Vienna Philharmonic, recorded by Decca between 1956 and 1965 at the Sofiensaal in Vienna, is rightly acclaimed as one of the greatest recording achievements of all-time. It was named the “greatest recording of all time” by Gramophone Magazine in 1999, and by BBC Music Magazine in 2011. Indeed, Solti’s Ring ushered in a new era in recording by using the LP record and stereo sound to record not just snippets and partial works, but larger, complete works. Decca at the time had heralded producer John Culshaw, who saw an opportunity to capitalize on the longer playing records, and to do so in style.
When Das Rheingold (1956) was released, it caused a sensation by not only going to the top of the classical charts, but actually did well enough to appear in the pop charts. Throughout the rest of the production, for Siegfried (1962), Götterdämmerung (1964) and Die Walküre (1965), Solti and the Decca engineers honed their technique to make the most use of the stereo capabilities to create a soundstage that would best recreate what you might hear in an actual stage performance. Therefore, the wide stage spectrum picks up on sounds, action, instruments, and voices to give the impression of a live performance. Culshaw made use of the technology of the time with acoustics and sound effects, intended to create an invisible soundstage which primed the imagination for the listeners. Solti insisted on recording longer takes with the singers, often without scores to further imitate a live performance.
None of this would have been as impactful without performances which matched these innovations. Fortunately, Solti had the Vienna Philharmonic, and the unrivaled team of soloists to provide performances which live up to the hype. Experts will no doubt argue about Solti’s approach versus the other recorded Ring cycles of venerable Wangerians such as Wilhelm Furtwängler, Joseph Keilberth, Herbert von Karajan, and others. But there is no doubt that Solti’s larger-than-life approach, emphasizing dynamism, intensity, and vivid power is extremely compelling. Furthermore, there is no lack of warmth, tenderness, and clarity either, and so while there are certainly other great Ring cycles available, the Solti/Culshaw Ring remains the standard and a stupendous landmark in recording history.
Soloists that appear in this legendary Ring include Kirsten Flagstad, Régine Crespin, Hans Hotter, Birgit Nilsson, Christa Ludwig, Brigitte Fassbaender, Wolfgang Windgassen, George London, Gottlob Frick, James King, Helma Dernesch, Eberhard Waechter, Gwyneth Jones, and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, among others and were the finest cast assembled at the time. Birgit Nilsson, featured as Isolde in my previous review of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, is a brilliant and tireless Brünnhilde. In Das Rheingold we hear the rugged voice of George London as Wotan, but then Hans Hotter takes over as Wotan in the rest of the cycle. Hotter is known as one of the greatest Wagner performers ever, and he brings an intelligence and nuance to Wotan that has rarely been matched. By the time Die Walküre is recorded in 1965 (the second drama in the cycle, but the last one recorded by Solti and team), Hotter’s voice has aged and is not as vibrant. Wolfgang Windgassen’s Siegfried is very well done, though captured on the tail end of his career. Gottllob Frick’s Hagen and Gustav Neidlinger’s Alberich both set the standard for their roles, and Christa Ludwig as Fricka and Waltraute has never been surpassed (to be fair, I am a huge Christa Ludwig fan). Adding star quality are Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau as a heroic Gunther and the odd but effective choice of Joan Sutherland as the Woodbird. Sutherland makes a strong impression with her voice, but as was often the case with Sutherland, her diction leaves a lot to be desired.
So here we have a landmark recording that paved the way for the more than 40 other complete Ring cycles that have been recorded since. The sound is still remarkably good, and brings action to the fore quite well, which gives it an advantage over many Ring cycles that have been recorded live with distant, cavernous, or flawed sound. Solti has always had his detractors, but I am not one of them in this case. Solti’s reputation was to bring a high-voltage intensity to everything he conducted, at times missing some of the subtlety, but I believe Solti was the ideal interpreter for Wagner.
You can stream all of Solti’s Ring cycle on major streaming services, but you may elect to purchase a physical copy of the set in order to have the liner notes and libretti. The transfer released in 2015, along with a CD-ROM with Deryck Cooke’s excellent “An Introduction to Der Ring Des Nibelungen” and the entire libretti, is excellent.
I should warn you the entire cycle is a lot to digest all at once. It is perfectly okay to take things piecemeal, or to listen across several sittings, but it helps to have a libretti to keep track of the action and characters.
If you prefer just the orchestral music, Solti returned to Vienna to record a Ring orchestral highlights disc in 1982 for Decca in digital sound, and this is also worth hearing. George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra also produced a terrific orchestral-only highlights album, now on Sony. Lorin Maazel teamed up with the Berlin Philharmonic to record an orchestral highlights only Wagner: The Ring Without Words for the Telarc label, which became a bestseller and remains popular.
Other recommended complete Ring cycles
Historical Choice
The Austrian conductor Clemens Krauss led a legendary cast in one of the first live post-war Ring cycles at Bayreuth, recorded in 1953. The recording is now available remastered on the Orfeo label, and perhaps others, and can also be found on streaming services. Although Krauss was perhaps better known for his conducting of Johann Strauss and Richard Strauss, this recording shows his Wagner to be colorful and majestic. The cast is among the best ever, with many that would become Bayreuth regulars in the 1950s, such as Hans Hotter, Hermann Uhde, Regina Resnik, Ludwig Weber, Gustav Neidlinger, Josef Greindl, Astrid Varnay, Wolfgang Windgassen, and Ramon Vinay. Astrid Varnay’s Brunnhilde is passionate yet womanly, and Windgassen and Hotter are at their best. Krauss moves forward with a purpose, never lingering, but also not missing the tragic and more dramatic moments. The mono sound is very good.
Live Choice
The underrated German conductor Joseph Keilberth conducted what is for many the greatest “live” recording of Wanger’s Ring at Bayreuth in 1955. The entire cycle is available for purchase on the Testament label, but it will cost you ($125 on Amazon currently). However, if you love Wanger’s Ring, this is essential. You may be able to find portions of this Ring on streaming services, and certainly you can find Keilberth’s Ring from 1953 streaming (also a very fine set). Keilberth was known as a journeyman sort of conductor, living in the shadows of Furtwangler and Karajan, but this set shows just how unjust that assessment was in retrospect. While you may have to put up with some sound inadequacies due to the age of the recording and that it was made live, the performances are certainly among the best ever. Two voices you hear later with Solti are also in their prime here: Hans Hotter and Wolfgang Windgassen. American born heroic soprano Astrid Varnay is also in splendid voice here.
Modern Sound Choice
The first digital studio Ring was recorded by Marek Janowski and the Staatskapelle Dresden for Eurodisc/RCA in the early 1980s. This set remains among the best, not least because of the incredible cast assembled. It includes Theo Adam’s steady voice as Wotan, Rene Kollo as a wonderful Siegfried, Peter Schreier as Loge and Mime, and Siegmund Nimsgern’s neurotic Alberich. Janowski keeps textures lighter than usual, and the action keeps moving. Among the Valkyries, Cheryl Studer and Hannah Schwarz are among the best on record. The appearance of the brilliant Lucia Popp as Wellgunde is a bonus. Janowski returned to the Ring more recently, this time with Radio Symphony Orchestra of Berlin on the Pentatone label, released in 2016. First, the sound quality is stunning, probably the best sounding Ring available. Janowski clearly loves this music, and in my opinion is a finer Wagner interpreter than more well-known names such as Karajan, Bohm, and Barenboim. The singers are not household names, other than Matti Salminen, but nevertheless they shine. It should be noted these recordings were taken from live concert performances rather than stage performances, so this lends itself to the better sound. Well worth hearing.
Stay tuned for the next post when we cover #2 on the Top 250 classical works of all-time, Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9 “Choral”.
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Notes:
Ashman, Mike. Wagner’s Ring: The best recordings. Gramophone Magazine. 2007. Updated at gramophone.co.uk on January 13, 2019.
Brennan, Gerald. Schrott, Allen. Woodstra, Chris. All Music Guide to Classical Music, The Definitive Guide. All Media Guide. Pg. 1473. Backbeat Books, San Francisco. 2005.
Cooke, Deryck (2000). I Saw the World End: A Study of Wagner's Ring. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0193153181.
Holman, J.K. (2001). Wagner's Ring: A Listener's Companion & Concordance. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press. ISBN 978-1-57467-070-7.
Magee, Bryan (2001). The Tristan chord: Wagner and Philosophy. Metropolitan Books. ISBN 0805067884.
https://www.metopera.org/user-information/synopses-archive/das-rheingold
https://www.metopera.org/user-information/synopses-archive/die-walkure
https://www.metopera.org/user-information/Synopses-Archive/siegfried/
https://www.metopera.org/user-information/synopses-archive/gotterdammerung
Rohan, Michael Scott. Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen. BBC Music Magazine. 2012. https://www.classical-music.com/features/recordings/wagners-der-ring-des-nibelung/
Spencer, Stewart. Millington, Barry. Wagner’s Ring of the Nibelung. A Companion. Thames & Hudson. 1993.
von Rhein, John (21 September 2016). "An epic beginning for Lyric's new Wagner 'Ring' cycle". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
"Wagner in Russia: Ringing in the century". The Economist. 12 June 2003. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
"Wagner – Ring Cycle". Classic FM. 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
Wagner, Richard (1994). The Art Work of the Future, and other works ("A Communication to My Friends" is on pp. 269–392.). Translated by William Ashton Ellis. Lincoln and London. ISBN 978-0803297524.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nibelung