Posted by Robert Storm
on March 1, 2008, 18:17:51, in reply to "Recommended DVDs - Parsifal & Tristan"
195.197.16.35
My recommendations:
Tristan:
Jean-Pierre Ponnelle/Daniel Barenboim, Bayreuth
Peter Konwitschny/Zubin Mehta, Munich
Ponnelle's production is very beautiful and fairytale-like. Some people don't like the ending which is . I thought it was very touching. Musically it is uneven but seeing and hearing René Kollo at his best is an great experience.
Konwitschny's version is modernized but also very touching in its way. Jon Fredrick West is not as good as Kollo but otherwise I think this DVD is musically better than the other one. Great conducting from Mehta.
There is also a new DVD from Glyndebourne festival. I haven't seen it but it might be good. Nina Stemme is Isolde and Jiri Belohlavek conducts. There is also a DVD conducted by Karl Böhm with Jon Vickers as Tristan and Birgit Nilsson as Isolde. Of course it is an important release but the sound and picture quality are not good.
Parsifal:
Hans Jürgen Syberberg/Armin Jordan, a film version
Otto Schenk/James Levine, Met
Syberberg's film version is quite idiosyncratic and certainly not everybody's cup of tea. It made a huge impression on me. Musically I think it's one of the best Wagner recordings of the 80's. Robert Lloyd, Yvonne Minton and Reiner Goldberg may be a little uneven singers but here they are at their best. I'm not sure if it's only available in a Syberberg box or also separately.
The Met DVD is a very good traditional production with beautiful sets. I prefer it s Schenk's Ring production. Some can't get past Levine's slow tempi but I really like his larger than life dramaticism. Singing is mostly very good, especially Kurt Moll who is my favorite Gurnemanz.
The DVD conducted by Kent Nagano and produced by Nikolaus Lehnhoff isn't bad either some of the singing (Salminen, Hampson) is excellent. Some also like the Bayreuth version conducted by Horst Stein and produced by Wolfgang Wagner. I found it rather boring in every way. I also thought the sets were unattractive in an 80's way, especially in act 2. Some of the singing is quite good.
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