There are now so many Ring cyles - both official and bootleg - on the market, that deciding which ones you actually need to own or hear can be a fraught business.
However, I think it's possible to narrow it down to three:
1) Solti (Deccca, 1958-66). Yes, I know there are multiple problems with Solti's recording (as there are with all Ring recordings), but it's the one I keep returning to, and I suspect I'm not alone in this. It wasn't the first cyle I heard (Karajan's was) and I can remember being vaguely disappointed by Solti's hard-driven approach, particularly in the first two operas recorded. What makes this outstanding, though, is the level of orchestral detail revealed by the recording - things that you either don't hear, or that are elided over in other recordings. The cast is a mixed bag - with an on-form Nilsson matched with a just past-it Hotter and a soon-to-be-past-it Windgassen (who, nevertheless, pulls out all the stops in Gotterdammerung); unforgettable (and possibly unimproveable), though, are Frick as Hagen and Crespin as Sieglinde. Solti's breathless approach tells us that this is the work of a (still) comparatively young man and his approach becomes audibly more relaxed as the cycle progresses, but I have to say that this is still the benchmark Ring, for so many reasons.
2) Karajan (DG, 1967-70). The antithesis of Solti's version, Karajan goes (as always) for beauty of sound over drama and makes some bizarre (though sometimes triumphant) casting decisions. It's a pity that none of his Siegfrieds or Brunnhildes sound completely relaxed inside their roles, though, and that his younger cast doesn't generally measure up to Solti's. However, I have a preference for Karajan's overall conception, which seems to have been thought through and executed more thoroughly than Solti's.
3) Furtwangler (either La Scala 1950, or RAI, 1953). Boxy mono sound, undistinguished orchestras and some swingeing cuts in the La Scala Siegfried notwithstanding, you really do need to hear Furtwangler conduct the Ring! I'm more familiar with the La Scala performance than the RAI one (the latest non-remastering of which I've just ordered - anyone heard it? Is it any good?) and would not be without it, even though Max Lorenz is clearly too long in the tooth to be singing the Gotterdammerung Siegfried.
Of others that are frequently recommended, I have this to say:
Bohm (Phillips, 1967) - exciting, but a bit superficial and roughly recorded. The ideal Ring for car journeys, though!
Janowski (Eurodisc, 1980-83) - the lack of a strong personality on the podium here can be refreshing but at other times comes close to sounding anonymous. Good cast, though.
Keilberth (1953) - overpraised on its eventual appearance, Keilberth's 'Italianate' approach is not altogether to my liking and sometimes the orchestra seems to part company with the singers. It's also overpriced!
Goodall (1973-77) - everyone should probably listen to this cylce once out of curiosity, but Goodalls' elephantine conception of the score doesn't come off, to my ears. Plus, the fact that its sung in Andrew Porter's dreadful English 'translation' rules it right out of court.
However, I think it's possible to narrow it down to three:
1) Solti (Deccca, 1958-66). Yes, I know there are multiple problems with Solti's recording (as there are with all Ring recordings), but it's the one I keep returning to, and I suspect I'm not alone in this. It wasn't the first cyle I heard (Karajan's was) and I can remember being vaguely disappointed by Solti's hard-driven approach, particularly in the first two operas recorded. What makes this outstanding, though, is the level of orchestral detail revealed by the recording - things that you either don't hear, or that are elided over in other recordings. The cast is a mixed bag - with an on-form Nilsson matched with a just past-it Hotter and a soon-to-be-past-it Windgassen (who, nevertheless, pulls out all the stops in Gotterdammerung); unforgettable (and possibly unimproveable), though, are Frick as Hagen and Crespin as Sieglinde. Solti's breathless approach tells us that this is the work of a (still) comparatively young man and his approach becomes audibly more relaxed as the cycle progresses, but I have to say that this is still the benchmark Ring, for so many reasons.
2) Karajan (DG, 1967-70). The antithesis of Solti's version, Karajan goes (as always) for beauty of sound over drama and makes some bizarre (though sometimes triumphant) casting decisions. It's a pity that none of his Siegfrieds or Brunnhildes sound completely relaxed inside their roles, though, and that his younger cast doesn't generally measure up to Solti's. However, I have a preference for Karajan's overall conception, which seems to have been thought through and executed more thoroughly than Solti's.
3) Furtwangler (either La Scala 1950, or RAI, 1953). Boxy mono sound, undistinguished orchestras and some swingeing cuts in the La Scala Siegfried notwithstanding, you really do need to hear Furtwangler conduct the Ring! I'm more familiar with the La Scala performance than the RAI one (the latest non-remastering of which I've just ordered - anyone heard it? Is it any good?) and would not be without it, even though Max Lorenz is clearly too long in the tooth to be singing the Gotterdammerung Siegfried.
Of others that are frequently recommended, I have this to say:
Bohm (Phillips, 1967) - exciting, but a bit superficial and roughly recorded. The ideal Ring for car journeys, though!
Janowski (Eurodisc, 1980-83) - the lack of a strong personality on the podium here can be refreshing but at other times comes close to sounding anonymous. Good cast, though.
Keilberth (1953) - overpraised on its eventual appearance, Keilberth's 'Italianate' approach is not altogether to my liking and sometimes the orchestra seems to part company with the singers. It's also overpriced!
Goodall (1973-77) - everyone should probably listen to this cylce once out of curiosity, but Goodalls' elephantine conception of the score doesn't come off, to my ears. Plus, the fact that its sung in Andrew Porter's dreadful English 'translation' rules it right out of court.
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