Derek Bailey Music

Other reviewers have covered various aspects of this fine production. A wonderful treat by Beethoven, he might have gone far had he stuck with opera, is given appropriate impact by a group of singers who show every sign of putting their hearts into it. To my surprise, Beethoven led us into the grim prime meat by a light salad of comedy which acquaints us with the cast members we are meant to see.
That there may be structural weaknesses in the drama, bothered me not at all. I doubt if they will bother anyone fixed on the theme, the music, and the song.
Yes, I, too, took it in one sitting with a few brief intermissions. Not many productions, musical or rhetorical, keep me in my seat (awake) that long.
Highly recommended for lay opera lovers or anyone who likes good musical drama of any sort.

This performance
became the source for which I learned the opera inside and
out. FIDELIO is a great opera. Full of Beethoven's heart
and soul, about tenacity, loyalty, love, courage and
steadfast devotion. I do not see the "faults" that have
been leveled against it. By the time of that final chorus,
I'm swept away in its soaring emotionalism.

I saw the Mattila MET telecast. A fine performance by the
soprano, involved and committed, but I do not feel it is
right for her voice. She certainly has the highs, but not
the lows, and the color of the timbre does not seem to be
right for the richness of Leonore's vocal persona.

What makes the 1991 Covent Garden performance so special
for me: Gabriela Benackova's Leonore. It was held in many
of the reviews of the initial LaserDisc & VHS release by
many critics that she lacked the intensity of Soderstrom
and some of the past exponents of the role, but I disagreed
heartily after the very multiple viewings I took in.

No, Benackova struck me as being deeply sincere, touching,
and dignified. No overdone histrionics here: as a result,
her traversal of the music is about the best sung, most
accurately handled to my ears. I heard most of the major
recordings - Ludwig (committed, but stretched at the top),
Nilsson (not enough warmth) Rysanek (uneven throughout the
range) Jones (squally) Janowitz (glacial) ~~~ the recent
ones I haven't heard.

Benackova's rich, warm tone is ideally suited to the score,
and she uses her voice with unfailing, consummate skill.
The big aria is a success, the awkward tessitura presenting
no problems; the security is of a rarely-matched standard,
the steadiness of the tone faultless. The top Bs ring out
commandingly. Moreover, you really believe in the passion
of Leonore's unwavering faith.

Where Benackova really shows her mettle, though, is in the
scene where she reveals her true identity to Pizarro, after
he brandishes his knife to Florestan. Her full-throttle cry
of "Zurück" is simply hair-raising: and when she launches
into the "Ich bin sein Weib, Geschworen hab ich ihm Trost,
Verderben dir," Benackova stuns with the overwhelming
power, thrust and intensity of her singing. The voice
sounds huge, full-bodied and in absolute focus - it alone
could seemingly blow Pizarro away; the resolute fury is
thrilling (I hate that overused word but its so apt here).

"O namenlose Freude" is one of those killer passages, after
a long night of singing, that seems to defeat many
sopranos; not Benackova - it is right on the money, poised
and deftly handled.

But what makes this such a winning portrayal is how honest
and straightforward Benackova's performance is. You see
registering in her face the spontaneous, inner responses to
the text and situation. The restraint is commendable, yet
it remains a warm, rather sweet assumption. Her success in
imparting these aspect is all the more impressive for the
amount of scrutinizing close-ups; no wild, bulging-eyed
reactions, and the security of her technique prevents the
typical facial contortions one often sees.

Josef Protschka's Florestan is another heartfelt portrayal.
Though a bit sqwawky at times, you really feel for his
character's pain. He and Benackova are totally believable
in their conjugal devotion, and their reunion and aftermath
is supremely moving.

Marie McLaughlin is a sweet Marzelline: she sets the tone
for a marvelously sung "Mir ist so wunderbar."

The late Monte Pederson is a properly nasty Pizarro: the
voice is a bit undersized for the role, but he is a good
actor.

Margit Bardy's sets are minimalist, grim and fittingly
depressing: the catacomb hellhole prison for Florestan is
terrifically claustrophobic and dank. Not sure about those
weird costumes, but they weren't distractingly offensive.

The prisoner's chorus is as usual moving and effective:
they are made to be dirty, tired and beat looking.

Christoph von Dohnanyi leads the Covent Garden forces with
skill and verve, really bringing the drama of the score.

I saw in the recent Opera Now that this release has been
"re-packaged" - I hope that means they'll do a better
engineering job than the one Image Entertainment did. The
LaserDisc incarnation I once had was outstanding - full,
rich, dynamic sound; on the Image DVD, the acoustic sounds
to me compressed and recessed. It took some fiddling with
the equalizer to enhance it.

Although we may be still in need of THE dvd Fidelio, this solid, reliable and competent ROH performance fills the void very well. Dohnanyi conducts the work in his usual objective, no-nonsense approach, yet projecting beautifully the melodic lines' essential nobility of spirit; he no doubt has the schooling and the feeling for that and finds in the ROH Orchestra a suitable and compliant vehicle for his wishes; they play outstandingly, mind you. He seems more preoccupied with reinforcing the work's architecture than in probing into the depths of beetovenian philosophy, however, and is well served by both the Covent Garden forces and Dresser's staging conception. Consequently, character projection advances beyond the sketchy and archetypical we usually and consensually blame on librettists Sonnleithner & Treitschke, and become more complex, a complexity to which contribute the intelligent singing of especially Benackova, Lloyd and Protschka (but why, according to Dresser, Pizarro surrenders the keys to the penal colony and simply walks away instead of being made prisoner himself is beyond me). As is rather customary today, there's no Leonore III inserted before the final scene.

Visual direction is superior, but there's no supplementary material; information on the covers is deficient.

This is a solid performance that provides a decent idea of what this opera is like. The singing is uniformly good and Beethoven's stirring score provides it share of goosebumps. Some of the singers are pretty effective actors, particularly Rocco. But I find Pizarro a little wooden and un-scary (with an expression suggesting the eating of too many pickles); and Leonore/Fidelio not at ease with her character. Another poster commented on Florestan's plump physique, and I agree; the dungeon seems actually to have agreed with him. As for Leonore, I realize that no woman singing a role in drag could fool anyone in the real world. This Leonore, though, barely tries, given her ample bosom (which is apparent behind her coat) and netted long hair in back. This is asking for a bit too much suspension of disbelief. I would prefer a less buxom singer who looks more appropriate in drag. As for the sets and costumes, they're conservative and rather literal, and don't add much to the proceedings. And while the story may take place in sunny Spain, I would have liked a darker, more forbidding feel.

Good, not great. For one thing, the dialogue is kinky. How could any producer of "Fidelio" omit that wonderful exchange: when Florestan tells his wife how much she's done for him, and she replies, "Nichts, nichts, mein Florestan." A real weeper, for sure. And this guy cuts it. AAAH!

Singing is good. Staging is rather less impressive than the old Glyndebourne production on video. When will someone release Bernstein's production?

Bailey's music has always mystified me. While I can appreciate his totally unique approach to the guitar in a conceptual sense, it doesn't quite grab me in a musical sense. That's not to say there isn't amazing music happen - just that in my subjective opinion, it doesn't appeal to me in the same way that it does to some listeners.

If I'm not exactly a devoted Bailey fan, why am I reviewing his album? The unique conceptual nature of "Carpal Tunnel" appealed to what I really appreciate from Bailey's music and thus I felt this was the first of his records that I thought I could actually review.

The idea of an artist presenting a personal and very real journey against adversity is inherently fascinating. The format is fairly clear from the track titles alone (explanation, after 3 weeks, after 5 weeks, etc.). It's less of an album of music and more of a journal and personal narrative. In that sense, it works at both a conceptual and a gut level.

The music seems to be consistent with Bailey's style of improvisation, even if he doesn't have access to his usual technique. Jagged lines of oblique melody ride on top of strange chordal clusters with a rhythmic sense that can only be described as singular. Even if Bailey's technique has fundamentally changed, his musical sense remains intact.

Derek Bailey is someone whose music I'm somewhat unfamiliar with-- he has performed with a number of musicians whose work I enjoy (John Zorn, Cecil Taylor, David Sylvian), and a few years ago I purchased one of his records that I didn't really care for. More recently though, it seems I've been listening to a lot more of Bailey's work, and after having recently read a revelatory interview him (in The Wire I think) where I realized that if nothing else, we were kindred spirits in our taste in music, I decided to give it another try. As such, I am approaching my review as an outsider rather than an insider.

"Carpal Tunnel", conceptually, is an interesting record. Bailey has been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome, rendering him unable to correctly hold a plectrum. This recording, presented as a letter to "Carol" (I have no idea who that is), is a demonstration of Bailey exploring his new guitar technique-- fingerpicking. Evidentally, Bailey has worked pretty much exclusively with a plectrum ("pick") in developing his unique vocabulary. This record documents his exploration, opening with a voice-over-disjoint guitar track to thank Carol for sending something and explain what this recording is (it's positively revalatory in learning about the man in its own way), followed by several tracks, each documenting how long it's been since some event related-- whether this is his diagnosis with carpal tunnel syndome, his decision to explore fingerpicking, or when he recorded the opener, I really don't know.

Either way, its a fascinating portrait of the man's music-- his style (and Bailey was always a stylist) is readily apparent. At 75, he's lost none of his fire as a player. The earlier recordings on the record find him a bit tentative, exploratory to be sure, and definitely feeling his way around, but what's amazing is that even early on it starts to cook. By "After 7 Weeks", it's quite got your attention, and the tracks improve as they go on.

All in all, it's quite an enjoyable record, definitely worth the investment to pick up.

I have many of Derek's recordings, he hates records, but this one is unique. His care to space and pitch are so special, and his humor regarding his hand condition is the best. Only Derek Bailey could make this record, and we are the ones who get the goods. O, please pick up Aida. Lace. Music@Dance. Guitar@bass.-all great records -are you listening Derek!

British guitarist Derek Bailey has been long associated with the avant-garde jazz scene for nearly 40 years. His unique approach to guitar playing is instantly recognisable with its abstract melodies, atonal runs, feedback, harmonics and volume swells.
With "Carpal Tunnel", his latest disc, we find the 75-year old guitarist performing with a minor handicap. All of the pieces were recorded and performed while Bailey was suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome in his right hand. Each of titles of the pieces refer to how many weeks had lapsed since he was first inflicted with CTS. There is even an introductory explanation at the beginning of the disc in which Bailey somewhat randomly explans the idea behind the music while improvising guitar phrases over his speech.
Upon listening to the music, you would be hard pressed to think that there was anything wrong with Bailey as he was performing this music. All of his musical trademarks are in tact without any sign of being sluggish. In the end, it is a typical Derek Bailey solo guitar album.
While much of his music (including this CD) is somewhat difficult to sit through, long time fans of Derek Bailey will no doubt be intruiged by "Carpal Tunnel". He definitely overcame a huge obsticle by being able to record this album.
In the end, it's not a fantastic CD but definitely one that is par for the course.

Derek Bailey has always been interested in the way that musicians react and interact within unfamiliar situations. Beginning in 1977, he began organizing regular events called "Company Week", in which a group of musicians was assembled to play in ad-hoc formations throughout the course of several days. The players are chosen with care: some will have extensive backgrounds in free improvisation, others will not; some will have worked with each other, some will have never even have heard each other's music. Bailey has remarked that by the end of the week the musicians will have settled into a working rapport but that he's not necessarily most interested in the more polished or empathetic performances that might result: he's most interested in the earlier stages, where musicians test each other out, warily responding & trying to find ways of communicating.

This disc documents performances from the first event, in May 1977. (Originally the performances were released sequentially on LPs numbered 1-7; this CD compiles most but not all of the last two LPs.) This was a historic encounter between some of the finest European free improvisors with a number of American free jazz musicians. In the former group: Bailey himself on guitar (as usual with Company Week, Bailey is perhaps the least prominent musician here, & in fact only plays on 3 tracks); Evan Parker & Lol Coxhill on saxophones; Steve Beresford on piano & miscellaneous instruments; Han Bennink on drums, clarinet, viola, banjo & anything else within range; Tristan Honsinger on cello & Maarten van Regteren Altena on Bass. The Americans are Steve Lacy & Anthony Braxton on saxophones, & the trumpeter Leo Smith.

It's hard to describe this music at all: one's strongest sense is of how differences in temperament & approach between musicians can lead to bewildering differences in result from track to track, depending on the personnel. One division here is between some of the Europeans whose playing involves a lot of sheer mischief & humour, & the "serious" approach of the Americans & some of the other Europeans. Beresford, Honsinger & Bennink are loose cannons, making tracks like "SB/MR/HB/LC", "HB/LC/MR/TH" & "TH/MR/SB/HB/DB" (the tracks are simply titled after the personnel on them) Dadaist assemblages of noise & mayhem. On the other hand, there's the beautiful, austere "AB/EP", a duo between Braxton & Parker that anticipates their marvellous 1993 duet disc on Leo. Listening to the disc again, it strikes me forcibly exactly how good the American players are, especially Leo Smith & Braxton--Braxton's improvising was surely never more trenchant than when he was a young lion in the 1970s, & he gives a bravura multiinstrumental performance on the opening track (which features Lacy, Smith, Braxton with Altena & Honsinger) that has him blowing saxophone, flute & clarinet in succession. Leo Smith is also outstanding on this album--try out his careening duet with Honsinger, "TH/LS", or the spacious trio that closes the disc with Parker & Bailey. The album also features one track performed by an extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime quartet of soprano saxophonists--Parker, Coxhill, Braxton, Lacy--& will be treasured by collectors for just that.

By any definition this is "difficult music". It is also very rewarding, & historically important. A very welcome reissue, though it's a pity that the original albums weren't reissued in their entirety. -- One final note: Derek Bailey's friend, the poet Peter Riley, wrote extensively about the 1977 Company Week, & these writings are worth seeking out. The poems were published as _The Musicians The Instruments_ (The Many Press, 1978); the prose was only published a few years ago by Bailey, in a book simply called _Company Week_.

Three recordings of "Rheingold" are essential: Solti, Karajan, and -- at least for English-speaking listeners -- this live recording conducted by Goodall. The superb English translation of Wagner's libretto is eye-opening (or ear-opening) even to those who are familiar with the Solti and Karajan recordings, adding a crystal-clear understanding of the background on which Wagner's entire "Ring" is founded.

It's no small matter, either, that the musical performance itself is marvelous. The principal singers, especially the Wotan of Norman Bailey, are first rate, the orchestral execution and recording quality are outstanding for a live performance, and Goodall's calculated conducting allows the music to unfold unhurriedly with measured effect and achieves many glorious peaks (and caverns). If certain "bleeding chunks" such as the "Entrance of the Gods into Valhalla" do not come across as the spectacular showpieces available elsewhere, that does not detract from the value of Goodall's solid, overall presentation.

Highly recommended to anyone, especially to Americans who want to find out what Wagner's "Ring" is all about but who are hesitant to wade into deciphering a German libretto.

The figure of speach may not be completely correct in this instance, but, well, I hope you get the point. In any case, for a Dutch speaking person, like I, to hear 'The Ring' in a language other than the original German feels - almost shockingly(?) - natural. Certainly, this modern English translation, to me, is as least immediate, and probably even more immediate, than the original (archaic) German text. And in music drama, immediacy is essential. Maybe it is also the wonderfully natural translation, I don't know, but it works for me, the Ring in English.
But most of the credit has to go to the music, the singers, and the recording as such. I believe that this (originally analogue) remastered recording has one of the best recorded sounds and acoustics of any Ring, studio or 'live'. It is wonderfully clear but warm, kind of velvety (very unlike Solti), with beautifully natural balaces between voices and orchestra. Audience noises can be heard (including a delightful little ripple of laughter) but never really obtrusively so, thankfully. And I love the thunderclap-sound effect when Donner strikes his hammer against the rocks - very tastefully done, and lending extra power to the scene.
All the time one reads in reviews everywhere of the very slow speads at which the music is conducted by Sir Reginald Goodall. Well, that may be so, but I, for one, am certainly endeared to Sir Reginald Goodalls 'caressing' of the music, as a result of which wich the Leitmotifs come out more clearly than ever. The slow - but nonetheless very concentrated, and always involved - playing has, to me, an almost mesmerizing effect. Certainly, compared to many other recordings, the music may sound stretched almost beyond breaking point. But in the end, I think it is really just that: a matter of speed, no more. The concentration never falters and the dramatic arc never saggs. There is live 'music magic' going on here, I feel, even if the English National Opera Orchestra may not be (as precise or as diciplined as) a Wiener Philharmoniker or a Bayreuther Festspielorchester. Certainly, Sir Reginald Goodall must have loved this music and these opera's: one feels a slowly beating but constant loving pulse that energizes the drama and the music.
But we also have the singers. And what a great singers! While the best may be yet to come (with Alberto Remedios as Siegmund and Siegfried, and Rita Hunter as Brunnhilde), we here, in The Rhinegold, already have one of the most commanding of Wotans (Norman Bailey, with wonderful burnished timbre). Also, Emile Belcourt stands out as a wonderfully sleek but full-voiced Loge. Derek Hammond-Stroud's Alberich may not be as black as Gunther von Kannen's (for Barenboim), for example, but there is enough anguish, frustration and anger to lend his character a convincing reality and depth. And the giants too, are a winning pair. Especially Fafner (Clifford Grant) is as imposing and powerful as one may ever wish.
With all the rave reviews, here and elsewhere I can't wait to hear The Valkyrie, (especially) Siegfried and Twilight of the Gods. This certainly is a winning 'Ring', to be kept alongside any other 'great' recorded 'Ring' out there, IMHO. To me, it can hold its own alongside any other favorite recordings.
Please, sample this Ring (try for example the Chandos website for fragments of all of the music) and decide for yourself. Highly recommended.

We have so many Ring recordings in store right now: Furtwangler, Keilberth, Solti, Karajan, Boulez, Janowski, Barenboim, the list is endless. This Ring recording is especially unique because it is sung in English. And not only that, but this live production took a very long time to produce: every musica detail had to be heard, every pronunciation had to be accurate, etc. And so here we have The Rhinegold, the "Preliminary Evening" in the Ring Cycle.

While I do praise Goodall with his amazing attention to detail, his ridiculously sluggish tempi will tick some Wagnerites off: nothing is faster than andante. But I did enjoy listening to the slow beauty of the Rhinegold Prelude.

The English National Opera Orchestra outshines Bayreuth in terms of orchestral clarity and beauty, but I do miss the punch that Bayreuth packs. "Erda"s Warning" and "Entrance to Valhalla" are a delight to listen to.

As for the siingers, they are the best since Solti and Bohm. Norman Bailey as Wotan has that divine spark that Hotter used to cherish. He's heavy and unblemished, and he handles the English text with flair and sheen. I enjoyed his singing during Scene Four.

Derek Hammond-Stroud's Alberich is three-dimensional, but not that much: Siegmund Nimsgern in Janowski Ring has the advantage. Still, he can sound very demanding and treacherous in Scene One and Three.

Gregory Dempsey isn't emotional enough as Mime. He doesn't sound fearful or depressed at all, which makes him the dullest Mime in Rhinegold.

Emile Belcourt as Loge isn't as good as Stolze (in Karajan), but he certainly can make some of the best of an English-speaking Loge. He has that Schreier-like intelligence that he brings out in his singing, and that straightfowardness that Siegfried Jerusalem brings out in the Levine Rheingold.

Katherine Pring as Fricka sure knows how to act. And it's not only the acting, but her voice as well. It can be sweet and b*tchy at the same time (Yvonne Minton for Janowski acts the same way, too). I give her an A grade.

The giants could've been better. I know that Robert Lloyd and Clifford Grant aren't as good as Kurt Moll or Matti Salminen or even Karl Ridderbusch, but they never disappoint. The tension between them might worked more clearly.

Erda sounds remarkable here. Anne Collins has done an extraordinary job; her "Warning" is far superior to Vera Soukupova's in the live Bohm recording. She ranks with Birgitta Scenden and Outrun Wenkel when it comes to the top.

Now, be warned. This should not be your first Ring (get one that's in German and that makes sense when it comes to the epic itself). But it still should be part of every Wagnerite's collection for its stunning detail.

Now on to The Valyrie . . .

The Box Set: Wagner: The Ring Cycle (Box Set)
-The Valkyrie (Part 2): Wagner: The Valkyrie
-Siegfried (Part 3): Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
-Twilight of the Gods (Part 4): The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)

I've enjoyed listening to the Ring cycles by Solti, Bohm, and Furtwangler, but my pleasure has always been dampened by the necessity to follow the dramas with a German/English libretto. This performance freed me from that burden and allowed me to listen to the Ring with my ears alone for the first time. And what a delightful experience it was! I found I could understand about half the words the first time through. but that was enough for me to understand what the characters were saying and concentrate on Wagner's great music. Some of the characters (Loge and Alberich, for example) are almost perfectly comprehensible, while others (Fricka in particular) might as well be singing in German. The sound itself is superb, with perfect balances between orchestra and voices. Goodall's conducting is famously slow (about half an hour longer than usual), but he is never slack and he reveals a wealth of detail in the orchestration. The singers are a mixed lot, with Loge, Alberich, and Mime particularly effective. Bailey is hardly the grandest of Wotans, but he is solid and convincing. In any event, for us non-German listeners, this recording is a real treat. I would not recommend it as a first Ring (Bohm is a good choice, though some of his tempi are rather hectic), but as a supplement to a recoding in the original language, it is hard to beat. Give it a try! As for me, I'm ready to go on to "Die Walkure" (pardon me, "The Valkyrie").

I was a little suspicious when approaching this English-language version of Das Rhinegold. I was considering assembling this as my third RING set (behind Solti and Levine) and had listened to THE VALKYRIE (Die Walkure) with a little initial disappointment. Although the live sound quality was very interesting, the tempo was much slower than I was used to and thus a little disconcerting, and the English words were harder to understand than I had hoped. Nevertheless, I persevered and listended to THE RHINEGOLD (probably my favorite of the four RING operas, although I know this puts me in a minority) and was amazed. Best of all, after listening to this album I revisited the Goodall VALKYRIE and discovered a new appreciation! Now the Goodall set ranks as one of the best I've heard. It just needed to get under my skin a bit.

What's so good about it? Three things stand out for me: First, the slow tempi that were a litle rough at first actually allow, upon repeated listenings, a new discovery and understanding of Wagner's unfathomable genius. Every nuance is slowed down just enough to be fully accessible. Second, the modern English translation really does make this a different experience...my initial mistake was thinking that English lyrics could allow me to listen to this as background music, and that's not the case. However, if one devotes the same attention to this as a German recording, the time wil be richly rewarded. Finally, the smaller orchestra creates an almost chamber music-esque setting, which compliments the music in an undefinable way. Despite being in English, this is almost more Germanic than original-language recordings.

I still probably wouldn't get this as the first foray into Wagner's RING (I still think Solti or Levine are the choices for that). But for someone who already has some familiarity with the work, this will provide a lifetime's enjoyment. Cudos to Chandos for resurrecting these recordings!

Having heard this cycle on the radio in England back in the 1970s, I am thrilled to see it on CD, in brilliant sound on Chandos, at a reasonable price. Three big positives. First, Goodall's slow tempi (resulting in 5 CDs instead of the usual 4 for Gotterdammerung, for instance) make every note audible, and allows one to explore once again the magic of Wagner's complex score. The ENO orchestra plays beautifully, with the transparency that comes from a live performance. Secondly, the English text, an excellent translation by Andrew Porter, is lucid, and in fact an improvement on Wagner's own turgid libretto. Understanding the convoluted and somewhat inane plot as it unfolds, I think, will attract new listeners, and also bring back some who gave up trying to figure out what is going on. And thirdly, the singing. Rita Hunter, Alberto Remedios and Norman Bailey, are superb, equal to their counterparts in the Boehm and Solti recordings of the Ring. The only disappointment is Aage Haugland, the Hagen in the Twilight of the Gods (Gotterdammerung). An otherwise fine actor-singer (listen, for example, to the award-winning recording of Nielsen's 'Maskarade' under Ulf Schirmer), Haugland is totally miscast here, a blemish on an otherwise perfect recording. Listening to the 16 CDs is a rediscovery of great musical theatre, no matter how silly the story.

There are over 20 complete Ring recordings on the market, and all of them have different interpretations. There are those who follow the score as closely as possible: Janowski, Haitink, Haenchen. There are those who take a more mystical and more lyrical approach: Karajan, 50% Keilberth. There are those who go for slower tempi in order to enchance the music experience: Levine, Furtwangler, Knappertsbusch, Goodall. And there are those who go for the strongest energy ever imagined: Krauss, Bohm, Boulez, Solti.

This live English recording by Goodall and the English National Opera takes slow tempi to a whole new level. It sounds more Celtic than Germanic or Norse. While I do praise Goodall with his amazing attention to detail, his ridiculously sluggish tempi will tick some Wagnerites off: nothing is faster than andante. But I did enjoy listening to the slow beauty of his "Immolation".

The English National Opera Orchestra sounds nice, even if the sluggishness can bring them down at times. "Forging Scene" doesn't sound too good in a slow tempo, but the entire orchestra does sound lucid here. Siegfried Act Two Prelude is the creepiest; Act Three Prelude is the dullest. All of the leitmotivs are heard loud and clear, just like in Janowski's version.

And who can forget the marvelous singers? Norman Bailey has that divine spark that Hotter used to cherish. He's heavy and unblemished, and he handles the English text with flair and sheen. I enjoyed his singing during Siegfried Act One.

Rita Hunter is at her strongest in Walkure and Siegfried. She is at her weakest in Gotterdammerung. What may have caused her downfall in the fourth installment? "The world may never know."

Alberto Remedios (who also plays Siegfried) and Margaret Curphy are wonderful as Siegmund and Sieglinde. You would probably never think that these two sound great in the English language, but these two prove us wrong. As for Remedios singing as Siegfried . . . Wow! He never drags in either of the last two installments, and he uses the correct emotions in every scene that he is in.

Derek Hammond-Stroud is three-dimensional, but not that much. Still, he can sound very demanding in Rheingold Scene One and Siegfried Act Two Scene One. Gregory Dempsey isn't emotional enough as Mime. He doesn't sound fearful or depressed at all, which makes him the dullest nibelung for the Ring. Emile Belcourt isn't as good as Gerhard Stolze or Peter Schreier, but he certainly can make some of the best of an English-speaking Loge. THe rest of the cast make Ring wonderful to listen to.

All in all, this should NOT be your first Ring. But if you already have a bunch of Rings and would like to see how it sounds like in English, then this is the one for you.

This *was* the first Ring I was exposed to (I've since listened to the Solti and Levine recordings), and it remains my favorite. As has been mentioned, the immediacy of having it in your own language makes a difference (and the plot isn't *that* flawed; come on, look at a modern *cough* Dan Brown *cough* novel!)

Alberto Remedios is truly amazing. All other Siegfrieds sound like cardboard in comparison:). Norman Bailey (Wotan) and Rita Hunter (Brunnhilde) also do a wonderful job--I was so blown away by the end of Gotterdammerung that it was about 1:00 A.M. before it was finished, and I didn't even notice!

Granted, it's good to get the other recordings as well; it was, after all, *meant* to be listened to in German. But this Ring really is a service to English-speakers, and a beautiful and awe-inspiring one. Yes, the pace is a bit slow, but that allows you to really *focus* on the music (the most important part, in my humble opinion)and (at least in my mind) it never gets *so* slow that you want to fast forward or turn it off. Better than TV.

If you'd prefer to understand the plot, and to hear every nuance of the wonderful music, this Ring is a Wotan-send.

Clearly Der Ring des Niebelungen can be many things to many people. When I lived abroad I purchased the Goodall Siegfried on EMI out of curiosity ... and was completely won over by this performance. Having always been obsessive about opera in the original language, I found myself astonished by the clarity of the sung translation and how well Andrew Porter had crafted the words so that they fit the music like a glove. Now, 33 years later, I still enjoy the Goodall Ring ... and I am sure a true Wagnerite will find the performances moving and excellent. Yes, Sir Reginald does not rush through the score, but I enjoy the nuanced detail ... and he is most emphatically moving the drama along. These ENO performances were warmly received at their initial issue and remain a fascinating documentation of a great musical event. My favorite studio recording of The Ring remains the recordings that introduced me to the work: Decca's Solti. (Second favorite: Levine, because I've seen the cycle with essentially the same cast three times when it was new.) For "live" cycles, I like the Krauss and Kielberth mono sets from Bayreuth on Archipel label the best ... although after hearing the 1955 Kielberth Siegfried in true stereo as released on Testament, I think that when the remaining 3 in the cycle are released, they may well be my all-time favorites, even beating the studio Solti. Particularly if you're trying to demonstrate the power of Wagner to non-Germanic speakers the Goodall is excellent ... not my first choice, but a performance I relish.

Incidentally, I do not care for the Böhm Bayreuth stereo set for I find it TOO rushed. I do like the Furtwängler RAI and La Scala cycles immensely. My gut reaction to Furtwängler's conducting and care with Wagner is unmitigated adoration. I'm also a great admirer of Martha Mödl and Ferdinand Frantz.

I deducted a star from the Goodall cycle because it is in English. Is this being a snob? I hope not. I do feel after years of exploring the Ring, it's best experienced in Wagner's "antiquated" German libretto.

Many reviewers, whether they are the Amazon kind or the professional news-writing type, will be split about this version of the Ring.

The first thing that many a novice Wagnerite will tell you (and trust me, many of them have been quite loud about this Ring) is that the recording loses its original essence due to its transcription to the English language. It is true that the Ring is more beautiful in the original mittel-hoch Deutsche that Wagner wrote the piece in, but how fluid and beautiful Andrew Porter's translation is! Everything in the text seems to leap out from the page as if Wagner had written the opera in English. I don't find it bothersome, I find it very intricate and beautiful in fact, that the Ring was translated to English. I've heard the Ring sung in Italian too, and while the pure vowels of Italian and the translation they used were very good, it was nowhere close to the artful linguistic play of words that Porter uses for this Ring. I could almost describe it as noble and Shakespearean.

The second quibble that most reviewers would have about this Ring is Goodall's choice of tempi. If Wagnerians thought Knappertsbusch was slow, they had better listen to Goodall and see what slow really means. Goodall's Ring is spread out over 16 (!!) CD's, unlike most Rings which come in a box of 14. However slow his tempi may be though, I find that Goodall mastered the art of bringing the flowing structure of Wagner's music in such a way that no other conductor has ever done after Knappertsbusch and Furtwangler. Wagner's Leitmotifs have never been so played more distinctly and beautifully that each intricate detail is exposed. The way the composer wanted a conductor to conduct his music is to have a transparent, incandescent, yet heavy interpretation (grand). I think, of all the conductors who have done the Ring, only Furtwangler, Knappertsbusch, Clemens Krauss, and Reginald Goodall have fulfilled that request. Other great Ring conductors include of course, Karajan, Solti, Bohm, Levine, Keilberth, Janowski, and Boulez, but all of these conduct Wagner in a way that detracts slightly from what the composer wants from the music. Of course, Karajan brought a most beautiful lyrical vision to his Ring, and Solti brought a drive that no other conductor has matched since, and Bohm, while producing one of the most lyrical and organic Rings (it is my favorite), does not bring the Leitmotif structure to life the way Goodall does. This recording shows each detail of Wagner's massive score, and for that reason I would recommend this Ring for those who want to understand what Wagner truly wanted for his masterpiece. The English National Opera Orchestra plays magnificently, much more so thirty years ago when this Ring was recorded than they do now in their pedestrian playing. In short, I would say that the conducting in this Ring is very Wagnerian in the sense that it is transparent and grand, certainly an interpretation that must be examined and learned by other leading Wagnerian conductors today.

Of course, with such a great vision of the orchestra, you must not miss out on the singers. What I have to say of course about the soloists, is nothing but praise for their excellent vocalizing and dramatic rendering of Wagner's text. In my opinion, Rita Hunter is the best Brunnhilde who sings all the notes and gives us an excellent portrayal of Brunnhilde's character in all the three operas with her Valkyrie. Period. She gives us Nilsson's thrilling vocal power combined with Dernesch's sensitive and sensual lyricism and Gwyneth Jones' acute dramatic powers where needed. She has a very beautiful voice, and I think if this Brunnhilde was captured in the original German, she would have made the reference Brunnhilde. Alberto Remedios not only sings Siegfried's notes well, but beautifully too! Not even Windgassen had the gorgeous tone of his instrument. Again, if this were done in German, he would have made the best Siegfried. His tone is simply ravishing and young. His Siegmund is amazing too. Norman Bailey's Wotan is simply amazing. I have never heard a better Wotan since Hotter and Stewart. It is intense and dramatic at the same time that it is vocally beautiful. Clifford Grant as Fafner and Hunding is a must-hear, and the rest of the cast from the Norns and Valkyries (with Anne Evans singing Helmwige and the Third Norn!!!!) to the Rhinemaidens, giants, gods, Nibelung, Alberich, Mime, and Gibichungs are well-characterized and beautifully vocalized. A top cast for a top Ring.

If only this Ring were sung in German, I would think that Solti's Ring would easily be dethroned from its status as opera's definitive Ring cycle. This, I don't think should be your first Ring, but if you can make it your second, give it a listen and bask in the beauty of Goodall's interpretation.