BaL 14.12.24 - Wagner: Siegfried Idyll

[makropulos]

I got the Solti recording in October 1970 (I was 16) and recall playing it on Christmas morning for the centenary. I repeated this on Christmas morning 2020 for the 150th anniversary.

Yes! That's a wonderful recording which I first came across as Side 4 of Solti's Bruckner 7 with the VPO. It's still the one I play most often, closely followed by Boult's lovely EMI version.

[Opinionated Knowall]

This is a work that I like a lot, but rather like Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, I’ve never found a recording that really ticks all the boxes. I shall have to give Solti, Boult and Norrington a spin and see whether I can change my mind! Thanks for these recommendations.

[Dance Band Spiv]

https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/af6d4fce770f46edbb6c9b1644976801

Does anyone else recall this wonderful dramatisation from 1969 of the work's genesis and first performance? I wonder if it still exists in the archive, as I've searched in vain on YouTube

[smittims]

There's a fictionalised performance of it in Visconti's 'Ludwig' (with Trevor Howard as a wonderful Wagner) but I think they've got the instrumentation wrong. I'm relying on memory , but I think there are too many violins.

[Maclintick]

https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/af6d4fce...6c9b1644976801

Does anyone else recall this wonderful dramatisation from 1969 of the work's genesis and first performance? I wonder if it still exists in the archive, as I've searched in vain on YouTube

I remember seeing this as a teenage Wagner neophyte, and the image of Alan Badel as the composer has stuck with me ever since, but I wasn't aware at the time that he was reprising the rôle he played in1955 here:

[gradus]

https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/af6d4fce...6c9b1644976801

Does anyone else recall this wonderful dramatisation from 1969 of the work's genesis and first performance? I wonder if it still exists in the archive, as I've searched in vain on YouTube

Yes I remember it for Alan Badel's performance as Wagner, he even looked the part.

[jonfan]

For the original 13 player version the Solti with members of the Vienna Philharmonic wins hands down, in my opinion. It's a gorgeous performance, intimate and beautiful, as if we were eavesdropping on the original players sitting on the stairs on that Christmas morning in 1870.

it was this recording which almost derailed the final sessions of Solti’s Ring; the personnel used not meeting the approval of some VPO members.

[vinteuil]

I remember seeing this as a teenage Wagner neophyte, and the image of Alan Badel as the composer has stuck with me ever since, but I wasn't aware at the time that he was reprising the rôle he played in1955 here:

... Charlton Heston was originally considered for the role of Wagner : that would have been something. Peter Cushing plays Wesendonck.

I gather Korngold 'arranged' the music - and according to wiki, plays the part of Hans Richter

[Barbirollians]

Haitink here too .

[cloughie]

My first recording of Siegfried Idyll was Colin Davis conducting the Sinfonia of London on a WRC from 1960 - in recent years it was in a Colin Davis ICON box of his early recordings - most of which still soundcremarkably good. I too like Solti’s VPO slimmed down version.

[Pulcinella]

My first recording of Siegfried Idyll was Colin Davis conducting the Sinfonia of London on a WRC from 1960 - in recent years it was in a Colin Davis ICON box of his early recordings - most of which still soundcremarkably good. I too like Solti’s VPO slimmed down version.

I mentioned this in my post on 22-11-24, 15:07
Interesting stuff in that box, including the Tippett PC, of course!

[cloughie]

I mentioned this in my post on 22-11-24, 15:07
Interesting stuff in that box, including the Tippett PC, of course!

Indeed you did Pulc - good that we both fondly remember the recording!

[Wolfram]

I got the Solti recording in October 1970 (I was 16) and recall playing it on Christmas morning for the centenary. I repeated this on Christmas morning 2020 for the 150th anniversary.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I vaguely remember reading that there was some doubt as to whether Solti actually conducted the recording, and in reality it was led by Willi Boskovsky from the leader’s chair. I’m sure someone here might be able to throw some light on this. Nevertheless it is my favourite chamber version, Klemperer being my favourite of the orchestral versions.

[gurnemanz]

Conducted by dedicatee

[Petrushka]

Somewhere in the back of my mind I vaguely remember reading that there was some doubt as to whether Solti actually conducted the recording, and in reality it was led by Willi Boskovsky from the leader’s chair. I’m sure someone here might be able to throw some light on this. Nevertheless it is my favourite chamber version, Klemperer being my favourite of the orchestral versions.

I, too, read that somewhere. It may have been done under Solti's 'musical supervision' (as the sextet recording of Verklarte Nacht with Boulez is so described).

The leader was Walter Weller, not Boskovsky, and this was the cause of trouble that beset the Walkure recording (see 'Ring Resounding' page 243 and following by John Culshaw).

None of it matters now.