Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen ( Metropolitan Opera, 1989)
 

Cast: Wotan/Wanderer (James Morris), Brünnhilde (Hildegard Behrens), Sieglinde (Jessye Norman), Siegfried/Loge (Siegfried Jerusalem), Siegmund (Gary Lakes), Metropolitan Opera, James Levine (conductor), Otto Schenk (director), Günther Schneider-Siemssen (design)

Originally recorded 1989

Issued on DVD in 2002 by Deutsche Grammophon GmbH (NTSC/Region 0 with menu and subtitles in German, English, French, Spanish, Chinese.)

Technical Details:
Aspect Ratio: 4:3
Sound: PCM Stereo; DTS 5.1; DD 5.1

Running time: 941 minutes

Sung in German
 
Famous or notorious as you prefer, this is as nearly literal a performance of The Ring as we are likely to encounter. Staging, singing and conducting are solid, stolid and faithful to the score. If horned helmets are missing, each specified symbol is presented and each voice is heard in the tradition which began at Bayreuth but which has rarely been encountered since WW II.
 
The orchestra is superb and Levine leads it masterfully if without great insight or inspiration. For sheer sound, it cannot be bettered. Morris portrays the god as musically as any singer of recent years. If Behrens lacks the vocal thrust of some of her sisters, the recording compensates to some extent and her intelligent portrayal does the rest. Jerusalem was nearing the end of his decades as the world's heldentenor, but handles the assignments well (Loge, brilliantly), while his acting belies his age. Christa Ludwig's Fricka and Waltraute (Götterdämmerung) are treasures to be cherished and if Norman and Lakes do not 'sell' the amorous twins, they sing their roles well. One could go on, but suffice it to say that no singing is faulty and no performer stands out from the ensemble. The balance is excellent and Wagner is well served in accordance with his directions.
 
Technically, the set is well packaged and well documented. There are no gross errors of English subtitling. It is worth noting that the layer breaks in Walküre and Siegfried are poorly chosen and intrusive; they constitute a minor flaw, but one which is surprising in so finely produced a set. Lighting is good and the image is crisp, but digital enhancement leads to some unnatural detailing and approaches ghosting on occasion. Despite auditioning in 5.1, no rear-channel information was noticed during the music.
 
Related website:
Deutsche Grammophon www.deutschegrammophon.com
 
Michael Richter, 22 February 2003
opera@mrichter.com
 
See also Michael Richter's Introduction to the DVD, for a list of other reviews see the DVD Project page.