Haitink's 'Ring'

[Petrushka]

Despite my unceasing admiration for Bernard Haitink I've never ventured into buying his EMI recording of Wagner's Ring, largely due, it has to be said, to the overwhelmingly negative reviews accorded to the Brünnhilde of Eva Marton.

Does anyone have this recording and is it really such a complete write-off?

[Conchis]

Despite my unceasing admiration for Bernard Haitink I've never ventured into buying his EMI recording of Wagner's Ring, largely due, it has to be said, to the overwhelmingly negative reviews accorded to the Brünnhilde of Eva Marton.

Does anyone have this recording and is it really such a complete write-off?

I have it and it's not a write-off by any means.

Tbh, I don't have strong memories of Eva Marton's Brunhilde, though I think most agree she recorded it when she was somewhat past her best.

If you like Haitink, you will probably like this Ring: the emotions are understated, as they tend to be with this conductor but that can work well. The Siegfried is, I'd say, probably the best of the cycle and a strong contender for best individual recording of this opera.

Some interesting, if not totally successful, casting choices elsewhere, notably Theo Adam's Alberich.

I find the Walkure the least memorable part of the cycle, though some rate it highly: for me, it goes off the boil toward the end.

[Petrushka]

I have it and it's not a write-off by any means.

Tbh, I don't have strong memories of Eva Marton's Brunhilde, though I think most agree she recorded it when she was somewhat past her best.

If you like Haitink, you will probably like this Ring: the emotions are understated, as they tend to be with this conductor but that can work well. The Siegfried is, I'd say, probably the best of the cycle and a strong contender for best individual recording of this opera.

Some interesting, if not totally successful, casting choices elsewhere, notably Theo Adam's Alberich.

I find the Walkure the least memorable part of the cycle, though some rate it highly: for me, it goes off the boil toward the end.

Thanks. Naturally, I need another Ring to add to the seven I already have I went to a Haitink performance of Götterdämmerung at Covent Garden in the early 1990s but have never investigated his recording.

[Richard Tarleton]

Thanks. Naturally, I need another Ring to add to the seven I already have I went to a Haitink performance of Götterdämmerung at Covent Garden in the early 1990s but have never investigated his recording.

I sat through the 1990s ROH Haitink Ring twice, both as the individual productions came out, then as a cycle. That, of course, had the dream cast of Anne Evans (alternating with Deborah Polaski), Siegfried Jerusalem, John Tomlinson, Graham Clark, etc. etc. - I love Haitink's Wagner (also saw his Meistersinger) but the recording where that lot appear together is the Barenboim/Kupfer Ring from Bayreuth. This recording like the Barenboim both just pre-date the ROH productions? At least this has the glorious Siegfried J in it.... I'm stuck at 2 complete sets, though I have lots of individual acts of Walkure and the 1951 Kna G'dammerung - but then I wouldn't call myself a collector!