Wow, the emotion in his voice is really powerful stuff. Thanks for uploading all 4 parts of this -- one of my favorite stretches in the ring. Gorgeous.
Everybody speaks about singers, interpreters, recording… But the MUSIC is the trhing, the superb, wonderful, immortal music! Wagner, thank you for ever
I am not a musician but to my music loving, untrained ears,this is a superb recording.Powerful stuff indeed.I love Hotter in most things & Nilsson matches him in this Die Walkure..
@crustybigtoe I was not sure (I'm not a musician...at all :D ) but it seems to me a bit fast and high. May be editing the file it has been sped up, I think it's a common procedure to "improve" the quality of old recordings. Is it possible?
@trevorm74 When you know that Nilsson had a gigantic head, yes his hands are grotesque! But he was a giant of a man, very tall, so they look a bit too big, because he is sitting down. These two are not to be believed, if the likes of them sang today, I'd nail myself to the opera salon, and spend the rest of my life there. Actually one shouldn't listen too much to th likes of Hotter/Nilsson, it makes it so sad when going to the opera house...
I really do not understand why we are comparing Behrens and Nilsson. I personally prefer Nilsson but that does not change the fact that both were amazing singers who had different tones and singing styles. Behrens was the first Brunhilde I listened to and she made me love Wagner. I am grateful to her for that. It saddened me to hear that she died on August 18th.
Agreed. No two singers are ever, or will ever be, alike. Every performer who sings Brunhilde will give it something unique. After hearing Nilsson and Behrens, and a half dozen others, I can't say any of them didn't do something magical to the role.
An assertion that anyone could hold her own against Nilsson is doubtful and would raise eyebrows. To aver that anyone could sing "rings around Nilsson" is patently absurd. Behrens is a good singer. She filled a void. She is not a great singer Never in Nilsson's league. Sorry, that's just the facts of life.
Behrens sounds like Minnie Mouse compared to Nilsson. Perhaps Wagnermacht heard Nilsson after 1972-74; she went on far to long with her carreer. She shouldn't have sung after 1974.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
mozzrt, you are right, I did see Nilsson atthe Met in Gotterdammerung in 1975 for the first time and everything else there until her retirement in 83, and I know she was in declining voice obviously because of her age. My objections to her however are on this very recording, the War es so schmaehlich is execrable musically, in her prime, listen to Crespin or the great Behrens for real organic musical statement. Good high notes, yes of course, but not much more, not a great sensitive musician.
The last part, the Magic Fire music, is taken too fast here. Levine and the Met orchestra in the MOrris and Behrens version is quite a bit better, though Behrens is a bit weak as Brunhilde.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
Behrens sings "rings" around Nilsson in terms of musicality, especially in Walkure Act III, Behrens was stunning at the Met and is glorious in the recording.
Behrens' voice was always too weak to be a good Brunhilde whatever her musicality. A weak voiced Brunhilde is really worthless. I cannot disagree more. Too small too to be a convincing B.
Sorry but weak is hardly an applicable word to describe Behrens, you obviously never saw how her voice filled the huge Met with a glorious molten MUSICAL sound in Walkure Act III, and in Gotterdammerung made IMMENSE sounds in Act II and the Immolation Scene, sorry but just records are not efective measures of a great singer like Behrens
I listened to and watched the video that was quite sufficient to see and hear that her B/ was underpowered. Odd, she is never included in any list of great Wagnerian sopranos. Wonder why? You have any idea?
Yeah, Behrens was given NEW productions of the Ring at the Bayreuth Festival, Metropolitan Opera, Bavarian Opera, Vienna State Opera, and Buenos AIres, two of them televized, and sang in complete Rings in Berlin, San Francisco and London, no doubt because she was not the greatest of her generation. According to the La Scala Dictionary of Opera, Behrens is "one of the greatest wagnerian singers", numerous awards from everywhere (e.g. Leonie Sonnings), but you know better from your sofa, HAHAHA.
And not only I think this. Here are some comments from Amazon re the video:
The great drawback is no doubt Behrens' underpowered Brunnhilde. Her vocal production is pretty uneven (she sometimes makes ugly sounds even in the most easy of phrases) .
Behrens...her voice is worn and her lower register is virtually non-existent.roles. Behrens's Brunnhilde is problematic her voice almost disintegrated under pressure. Her voice also doesn't have the heft for a warrior maiden.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
The statistical value of your opinion and these 2 morons you quote counts for exactly that ,3 points!. Behrens regularly got frenzied, overwhelming ovations for her wagner the world over, perhaps the largest at the huge Metropolitan Opera, I was there for most performances with the great Behrens, you were not, so give it up, your opinion has the statistical value of 1!
does anyone else feel there is more passion in thsi version than in the Solti one? perhaps its b/c of the tempo, but i really enjoyed this version alot (I also enjoyed the solti version)
As for my favorite wotans....
who else here is a fan of SIr Donald Macintyre's wotan from 1984 bayreuther? or else morrison's karajan recording, how breathtaking.... just some of my favorites
...too pedantic for me....he lacks spontaniety, Hines is far ahead in that, Hines takes risks that Hotter is afraid to take, and it shows....and the hell for leather approach of Hines, is, in my view superior, but I will listen to this by Hotter too.......
Tears are really coming on hearing this "human" Wotan , he remains the very best of all..I had the "chance" to see this act at the Paris Opera (also with Nilsson and Crespin),but HE was appart!!!He sings Wotan als he was singing Winterreise!!!
Die beste Aufnahme des Ringes ist die unter Wilhelm Furtwängler für RAI. Er ist der einzige, der sowohl Waldweben als auch Siegfrieds Tod richtig dirigieren kann/konnte.
Die besten Stimmen sind Nilsson und Adam. Zu hören unter Karl Böhm während der Bayreuther Festspiele.
The Conductor is Sir Georg Solti and the Orchestra is the Vienna Philharmoinic, recorded in the Sofiensaal, Vienna in 1964 for Decca. It is probably still the finest recording available. It was originally recorded to take account of full stereo sound for home consumption and marked a major moment in the history of the grammophone.
I'm pretty sure it's not Solti. The Solti recording had the sound-effect of Wotan's spear striking the rock to summon Loge, and this recording doesn't.
The ideal Wotan! Not simply a singer in the shape of a god, but he himself the thundering god in his glanz. There is no best definition of the criptical "hoher Bass" than Hotter himself! One with the ear of R. Strauss couldn't but esteem him the most!
Wow, the emotion in his voice is really powerful stuff. Thanks for uploading all 4 parts of this -- one of my favorite stretches in the ring. Gorgeous.
jshelton137 11 months ago
crustybigtoe ist right: This recording is half a tone sharp!!
mizzothify 1 year ago
Everybody speaks about singers, interpreters, recording… But the MUSIC is the trhing, the superb, wonderful, immortal music! Wagner, thank you for ever
2251813 1 year ago
I am not a musician but to my music loving, untrained ears,this is a superb recording.Powerful stuff indeed.I love Hotter in most things & Nilsson matches him in this Die Walkure..
Teddyb1939 1 year ago
@crustybigtoe I was not sure (I'm not a musician...at all :D ) but it seems to me a bit fast and high. May be editing the file it has been sped up, I think it's a common procedure to "improve" the quality of old recordings. Is it possible?
Albericco 1 year ago
This recording is so full of warmth.....
Imagine that Hotter was also superb singing Rossini, Mozart, Schubert etc.
PEAinSwe 1 year ago
@crustybigtoe It was most likely recorded in Europe, as they are tuned higher.
firestorm669 1 year ago
are his hands huge to anyone else??
trevorm74 2 years ago 2
@trevorm74 When you know that Nilsson had a gigantic head, yes his hands are grotesque! But he was a giant of a man, very tall, so they look a bit too big, because he is sitting down. These two are not to be believed, if the likes of them sang today, I'd nail myself to the opera salon, and spend the rest of my life there. Actually one shouldn't listen too much to th likes of Hotter/Nilsson, it makes it so sad when going to the opera house...
mozzrt 1 year ago
To Shogunmiyuchgan:
To answer your question - yes, it is.
I met this giant, once, in a bookshop in the centre of Bayreuth. What a thrill that was!
Stellavox 2 years ago
Je ne vois pas l'utilité de comparer deux chanteuses, à savoir Behrens et Nilsson. Elles ont été très bonnes toutes les deux.
Il ne faut pas intellectualiser la musique. Ca se ressent.
isabelle070209 2 years ago 2
I really do not understand why we are comparing Behrens and Nilsson. I personally prefer Nilsson but that does not change the fact that both were amazing singers who had different tones and singing styles. Behrens was the first Brunhilde I listened to and she made me love Wagner. I am grateful to her for that. It saddened me to hear that she died on August 18th.
0001cida 2 years ago 14
Agreed. No two singers are ever, or will ever be, alike. Every performer who sings Brunhilde will give it something unique. After hearing Nilsson and Behrens, and a half dozen others, I can't say any of them didn't do something magical to the role.
kayewer 2 years ago 2
there are history and let them RIP
TheTristan1954 2 years ago
An assertion that anyone could hold her own against Nilsson is doubtful and would raise eyebrows. To aver that anyone could sing "rings around Nilsson" is patently absurd. Behrens is a good singer. She filled a void. She is not a great singer Never in Nilsson's league. Sorry, that's just the facts of life.
Operanut9 2 years ago 2
Is this the 1965 Georg Solti DG recording?
Shogunmiyuchan 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Behrens Sucks!!!!!!!!!!
afonito22 2 years ago
@afonito22
Well, Behrens is as dead as your discernment, so not much to worry you, is there?
joysword 1 year ago
Behrens sounds like Minnie Mouse compared to Nilsson. Perhaps Wagnermacht heard Nilsson after 1972-74; she went on far to long with her carreer. She shouldn't have sung after 1974.
mozzrt 2 years ago 3
This comment has received too many negative votes show
mozzrt, you are right, I did see Nilsson atthe Met in Gotterdammerung in 1975 for the first time and everything else there until her retirement in 83, and I know she was in declining voice obviously because of her age. My objections to her however are on this very recording, the War es so schmaehlich is execrable musically, in her prime, listen to Crespin or the great Behrens for real organic musical statement. Good high notes, yes of course, but not much more, not a great sensitive musician.
wagnermacht 2 years ago
It's not fast at all - it is a fashion to have evertything S L O W these days, but Wagner would have thought even this too slow.
mozzrt 2 years ago
You asked Wagner, I gather. Can you confirm that you met with him? Where?
saagua1953 2 years ago
gosh from the first note you know that this guy was something else
awesome
xav71176 2 years ago
Many thanks for uploading!
benzylalk 2 years ago
The last part, the Magic Fire music, is taken too fast here. Levine and the Met orchestra in the MOrris and Behrens version is quite a bit better, though Behrens is a bit weak as Brunhilde.
saagua1953 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Behrens sings "rings" around Nilsson in terms of musicality, especially in Walkure Act III, Behrens was stunning at the Met and is glorious in the recording.
wagnermacht 2 years ago
Behrens' voice was always too weak to be a good Brunhilde whatever her musicality. A weak voiced Brunhilde is really worthless. I cannot disagree more. Too small too to be a convincing B.
saagua1953 2 years ago
Sorry but weak is hardly an applicable word to describe Behrens, you obviously never saw how her voice filled the huge Met with a glorious molten MUSICAL sound in Walkure Act III, and in Gotterdammerung made IMMENSE sounds in Act II and the Immolation Scene, sorry but just records are not efective measures of a great singer like Behrens
wagnermacht 2 years ago
I listened to and watched the video that was quite sufficient to see and hear that her B/ was underpowered. Odd, she is never included in any list of great Wagnerian sopranos. Wonder why? You have any idea?
saagua1953 2 years ago
Yeah, Behrens was given NEW productions of the Ring at the Bayreuth Festival, Metropolitan Opera, Bavarian Opera, Vienna State Opera, and Buenos AIres, two of them televized, and sang in complete Rings in Berlin, San Francisco and London, no doubt because she was not the greatest of her generation. According to the La Scala Dictionary of Opera, Behrens is "one of the greatest wagnerian singers", numerous awards from everywhere (e.g. Leonie Sonnings), but you know better from your sofa, HAHAHA.
wagnermacht 2 years ago
And not only I think this. Here are some comments from Amazon re the video:
The great drawback is no doubt Behrens' underpowered Brunnhilde. Her vocal production is pretty uneven (she sometimes makes ugly sounds even in the most easy of phrases) .
Behrens...her voice is worn and her lower register is virtually non-existent.roles. Behrens's Brunnhilde is problematic her voice almost disintegrated under pressure. Her voice also doesn't have the heft for a warrior maiden.
saagua1953 2 years ago 3
This comment has received too many negative votes show
The statistical value of your opinion and these 2 morons you quote counts for exactly that ,3 points!. Behrens regularly got frenzied, overwhelming ovations for her wagner the world over, perhaps the largest at the huge Metropolitan Opera, I was there for most performances with the great Behrens, you were not, so give it up, your opinion has the statistical value of 1!
wagnermacht 2 years ago
El más grande Wotan de la historia
LauritzMelchior 3 years ago 4
wotan is the most powerful character in all of opera. what other character gets to be the king of the gods?
raigekimaru 3 years ago 2
yet he is powerless! perhaps siegfried is the more powerful, yet he is brutal and stupid and hatable.
LUKEYTHEKID2112 3 years ago
When I think in Wotan the vey first one that comes to my mind is the great Hans Hotter
ivanjuarezmex 3 years ago 4
does anyone else feel there is more passion in thsi version than in the Solti one? perhaps its b/c of the tempo, but i really enjoyed this version alot (I also enjoyed the solti version)
As for my favorite wotans....
who else here is a fan of SIr Donald Macintyre's wotan from 1984 bayreuther? or else morrison's karajan recording, how breathtaking.... just some of my favorites
nemmerel 3 years ago
clearly. He was well past his prime in the Solti recording. And the conductor is a major detraction....
Matt54e 3 years ago
i saw macintyres recorded ring cycle and i was literally rapt with amazement
thebloads 2 years ago
The greatest Wotan, ever!
bouncingalong1001 3 years ago 5
...too pedantic for me....he lacks spontaniety, Hines is far ahead in that, Hines takes risks that Hotter is afraid to take, and it shows....and the hell for leather approach of Hines, is, in my view superior, but I will listen to this by Hotter too.......
j72050 3 years ago
Jerome Hines is just a tad better . Because of the size of his voice.
tenorismo 3 years ago
Easily the best
Akaki59 3 years ago 3
I am back again tnight to listen to this again.
oegaziz43 3 years ago
Thanks for posting; surely this performance is what RW intended.
oegaziz43 3 years ago 5
Realy mooving !
taillia 3 years ago
Hotter was the best!
bellacantatrice 3 years ago 3
Wow. Period.
smileydts 3 years ago
The loving father's voice
Touching, graceful .
yangmeng6000 3 years ago 4
Simply amazing.
harisiadis 3 years ago 2
Motardbear, I agree with you. What a performance!
dobrov1 4 years ago
Much better with Keilberth
ricordisimo 4 years ago
Tears are really coming on hearing this "human" Wotan , he remains the very best of all..I had the "chance" to see this act at the Paris Opera (also with Nilsson and Crespin),but HE was appart!!!He sings Wotan als he was singing Winterreise!!!
motardbear15 4 years ago 2
hotter doesn't sound this good for Solti...must be earlier
arbaker340 4 years ago
Hotter was clearly past his prime by the time of the Solti recordings.
finylvinyl66 3 years ago
Sadly yes. When he and Nilsson made their famous 1959 recording with the Philharmonia orchstra he sounded better. And she too!
mozzrt 3 years ago
Beste Aufnahme, beste Aufnahme, bla, bla, bla.
Die beste Aufnahme des Ringes ist die unter Wilhelm Furtwängler für RAI. Er ist der einzige, der sowohl Waldweben als auch Siegfrieds Tod richtig dirigieren kann/konnte.
Die besten Stimmen sind Nilsson und Adam. Zu hören unter Karl Böhm während der Bayreuther Festspiele.
EinFremderAusElea 4 years ago 2
Und wer ist der schönste, wer der gescheiteste, wer der reichste, wer der selbstsicherste...?
SieglindeMoos 4 years ago
The Conductor is Sir Georg Solti and the Orchestra is the Vienna Philharmoinic, recorded in the Sofiensaal, Vienna in 1964 for Decca. It is probably still the finest recording available. It was originally recorded to take account of full stereo sound for home consumption and marked a major moment in the history of the grammophone.
jkr795 4 years ago
I'm pretty sure it's not Solti. The Solti recording had the sound-effect of Wotan's spear striking the rock to summon Loge, and this recording doesn't.
LoofLirpa4 4 years ago 2
He was very tall, but her wasn't short at all.The best singing possible.
ilbacioditosca 4 years ago
Please, does anyone know who is the conductor?
antoheionn 4 years ago
I think this is the EMI recording conducted by Leopole Ludwig.
Freudboy 4 years ago
I think it's Joseph Keilberth
WagnerBuff 4 years ago
The ideal Wotan! Not simply a singer in the shape of a god, but he himself the thundering god in his glanz. There is no best definition of the criptical "hoher Bass" than Hotter himself! One with the ear of R. Strauss couldn't but esteem him the most!
amfortas83 4 years ago 2
This cannot be performed better both by singers, nor orchestra
ViennaWaltz 4 years ago 6
His voice is really gigantic.Deep and warm.
Rest in peace...
whiskytorys 4 years ago
Look at the size of his hands in that pic. He was surly packing a staff all mighty!
Kevertenor 4 years ago
Oh, thank you so much for posting!! Amazing preformance!!
PucciniTosca 4 years ago