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Böhm Ring Cycle Philips Vinyl Box £30 should I buy it?!

I've got a treasure trove of vintage Wagner, made all the larger by a recent job lot acquisition. I've now got a very tidy-looking version of Gotterdammerung by Fjeldstad, which I've never seen or heard of before. Is anyone else familiar with it?
 
true blue said:
I've got a treasure trove of vintage Wagner, made all the larger by a recent job lot acquisition. I've now got a very tidy-looking version of Gotterdammerung by Fjeldstad, which I've never seen or heard of before. Is anyone else familiar with it?
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New one on me - good? When / where was it recorded?
 
No idea yet - it's a Decca 1950s mono-only release. I've not listened to it yet, but as it's got Nilsson singing it can't be too shoddy an effort! It certainly predates the Solti ring.
 
i have many ring cycles and the bohm is the only one i've ever sold off. of the "mainstream" ones, i'd say only the boulez travesty is worse.


vuk.
 
The Bohm is wonderful (IMnot soHO). I have the LPs and CDs. The LP box is wonderful to have for the booklet, but I have to say, I haven't got the patience to listen to the LPs and have to get up all the time to change sides. In fact, I've FLACed it so I can play the Acts uninterrupted...
 
true blue said:
No idea yet - it's a Decca 1950s mono-only release. I've not listened to it yet, but as it's got Nilsson singing it can't be too shoddy an effort! It certainly predates the Solti ring.
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The Fjeldstad Gotterdammerung had Flagstad rather than Nilsson as Brunnhilde surely! It was a mostly local Norwegian affair in terms of casting, apart from Svanholm, who was a Swede I think, and wasn't quite complete. It was put together for a radio broadcast. Kirsten Flagstad's sister took a couple of the minor roles. It's uncommon for no better reason than most big 1950s sets were : six full-price discs were far beyond the pocket of most ordinary mortals. Decca reissued a potted 'scenes' (aka highlights) on two discs in the Ace of Diamonds GOS label which vanished sometime in the 1970s, and the set faded from memory. At the time of issue (1956) it was the first substantially complete Gotterdammerung commercially available : today on CD quite a few earlier recordings are available - in some cases more evenly cast, but not so well recorded.
 
Whoops - that will teach me to trust my memory! (I'm sure I can be forgiven though as I picked up the set in a bulk lot last weekend, and have barely looked at it, let alone listened...)

There were quite a few recordings of a similar vintage (plenty old mono Strauss and Wagner) -I'm in two minds as to whether I should sell those that have no stereo and a bit of value, or whether to keep them for interest/posterity.
 
It's good, definitely worth picking up. It's less beautiful than Solti, more earthy and ugly, something Solti misses I think. I'd love to hear the Keilberth recording, but cannot afford it sadly. I also believe that Goodall's recording is good. But I'm sure that it's dreadfully in fashionable.
 
lordsummit said:
I also believe that Goodall's recording is good. But I'm sure that it's dreadfully in fashionable.
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I listened to it the other day (original EMI CDs, not the newer Chandos) - Goodall simply gets better and better on each rehearing, despite being decidedly leisurely at times. At the big moments it's overwhelming. The cast, singing in English, aren't half bad either - Remedios is as good as any Siegfried on record, Hunter vies with Nilsson, and Bailey is a splendid Gunther.
 
neilmack said:
I listened to it the other day (original EMI CDs, not the newer Chandos) - Goodall simply gets better and better on each rehearing, despite being decidedly leisurely at times. At the big moments it's overwhelming. The cast, singing in English, aren't half bad either - Remedios is as good as any Siegfried on record, Hunter vies with Nilsson, and Bailey is a splendid Gunther.
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I was lucky enough to see this cycle at the ENO back in the 70s.

Happy days! :)
 
Amongst others, I picked up a Das Rheingold and Die Walkure by Haitink. I tried to listen to the latter earlier, but gave up out of sheer boredom halfway through side 2!

Goodall is much more promising, though to be saved for a rainy fortnight in winter I think.

Seeing as this is rapidly turning into a comparison of Rings, are there any others that people want to throw into the Ring? (Yes, terrible pun, but I promise it wasn't intentional).
 
If this is turning into a comparison of Rings, it could quickly get uglier than those subjectivist/objectivist bun fights over in the audio room. I'll put my head over the parapet and say my favorite is the Janowski, probably because it was the first one I heard - it was actually what got me into classical music, period.
 
I'll offer three for consideration -

ENO/Goodall already discussed
Solti/Vienna - for the very consistent casting, lucid recording and magnificent orchestra
Keilberth live at Bayreuth in 1955 (the expensive Testament set). An underrated conductor if ever there was one.

plus special awards for the interwar 'potted' Ring (magnificent singing from Leider, Austral, Schorr etc.) that was available on Pearl and an honourable mention for Neuhold for only costing £4.99 (!) in Superdrug a few years back.
 
Barrymagrec said:
I now have this recording set up as a suprise birthday present in a months time - full of anticipation. Thanks for the info.
I agree about the Naxos historical issues, nice and tidy but they don`t rip the heart out of the sound.
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I have now played the Flagstadt / Fjelstad Gotterdammerung and it is superb - sound quality is not up to modern standards but good for mid fifties, performance is excellent and rivals Solti in my opinion - may usurp the Solti for the traditional new years eve playing. Interesting history too, apparently Decca agreeing to release it paved the way for Flagstadt to sing in the Solti Rheingold - a coup.
 
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