Help with Götterdämmerung!

If there are any Wagner fans out who know all about the recordings of the Ring Cycle, help me!

I’ve been debating for the last hour whether to buy the Solti or Karajan version of the Ring… Now before you pounce on me and tell me to go for the Solti (I know it’s the most popular, authentic version), please here me out:

I love the Solti recording for everything everyone says about it – singers are incredible and energy is fantastic! But what no one told me (and thankfully, I checked the Solti on iTunes before buying anything) is that the Solti orchestra is definitely having issues. The sound is so harsh and the intonation and tone in the strings makes me wince constantly. Maybe my taste is geared towards a warmer sound. But Karajan’s Berlin Phil is in top shape and I love the balance towards the strings (certainly shows them off well).

But I like Solti’s timing intrepetation better and so I’m stuck… Go with the quality of sound I want without the incredible singers or with the interpretation I prefer but lose the heavenly sound?

Perhaps I’m doomed. But I’d be curious to hear what others think out there… Normally this wouldn’t be a big deal and I’d buy both versions. However, that’s a bit more money than I’d like to spend. There are other great opera recordings to get!

 

Paul Potts – It’s all about the opera!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oxTy7KIAaA

OK, look here. It doesn’t really matter how good Paul Potts is… although it’s amazing to have such an incredible, essentially untrained talent. He probably won’t make it as an “opera singer” and will perhaps be more of an Andrea Bocelli – putting out solo albums rather than full scale roles.

But all you people who think classical music is dying… Look at this! You think any piece of “popular” music could touch so many people to the core in 30 seconds? No. “Nessun Dorma” is a masterpiece of music.

This video gave me hope. Hope that my generation can bring classical music in accessible ways to audiences of all ages, everywhere. People had never heard opera before, didn’t know the meaning of the words, and still… they felt it.

Classical music is already making a comeback, let’s get with the program!