Siegfried- Nothung! (Siegfried forges his sword)

[Chrysothemis]

You're entitled to your opinion about Jewish conductors, but as I have already pointed out Wagner himself didn't share it.

Meistersinger has always been condescendingly regarded as Wagner's "light" opera, and only considered problematic because it was a Nazi favorite. It is in fact as deep and clever as anything he ever wrote. It's about the relationship between rebellious artists and the establishment, and Katharina's production makes a lot of valid points on this issue.

[Bobofwestoregonusa]

This is my favorite Siegfried ever, I really like this guy a lot.

[songsterNJC]

You do know that Mime is the Jew, right?

[Chrysothemis]

@songsterNJC Just to be exact, Siegfried is the only Jew on this stage. Barenboim is in the pit of course, but then Wagner would be nowhere without the legion of superlative Jewish Wagnerian conductors that has kept his music alive over the years. Which to my mind is absolutely delightful.

[agreatgeat]

@Chrysothemis Can you please elaborate what you mean by "Siegfried is the only Jew on this stage"? I've never heard that before.

[Napoleontas]

I suspect that degenerate Katarina Wagner is responsible for the staging.

[Chrysothemis]

@Napoleontas Which means that you have no fucking clue whatsoever about Wagnerian performance in the past 25 years. Since you're clearly not a Wagner fan, why do you bother commenting?

[Napoleontas]

@Chrysothemis I susspected ive learned that this performance was much older.

And since iam "clearly" not a wagner fan..?

Since it is obvious that you cannot understand that a person who half of his favorites are wagner videos, it is obvious a wagner fan, why do you bother commenting?

[Chrysothemis]

@Napoleontas My sincere apologies. Really. I forget sometimes that not everyone is 30+ like me. I've grown to love this 1991 staging, but it took me some time.

I'd give Katharina some time. Her Bayreuth Meistersinger and her Budapest Lohengrin are some of the most smart and incisive productions I've seen lately.

[Napoleontas]

@Chrysothemis I dont agree about your opinion conserning Jewish conductors, Wagner didnt need Jewish conductors really and less not we forget that the greatest conducts of Wagnerian music were done by the very non Jew Karajan. But in any case, i dont know i really think that staging Meistersinger as a modern reality show is quite horrible, dont you think ?

[Chrysothemis]

@Napoleontas It's obviously a matter of taste. But Wagner himself picked a Jew to conduct the world premiere of Parsifal at Bayreuth. And since then, Wagnerian performance would have been severely crippled without Barenboim, Levine and Walter, just for a start. It's not necessarily important, it's more of a delightful coincidence that Wagner is best performed by Jews.

Again, I love Katharina's Meistersinger to bits..We'd had enough of the Nazi approach by 1944, and it's time to move on.

[Napoleontas]

@Chrysothemis I personally find it insulting to wagners memory for his operas to be conducted by Jews, and it is obvious that many Jews would have conducted wagner giving their dominion in the grand stages like met.

And i also found the Meistersinger staging as a reality despicable , Katarina should have been spanked by her grandfather for what he did with her ancestors masterpiece, thankfully the wagner fans still have brain and she was "discouraged" by the audience.

[Napoleontas]

Siegfried with jeans?

[temponed]

such better set and art production than Lepage's Machine.

[barbacoa666]

This piece makes me want to crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and to hear the lamentation of their women.

[glenfagelfors]

Well, he's better here if compared to the Levine/Schenk production from the MET. aweful settings, and there he's got a terrible ringing in his voice. Observe his "wobble-the-head-vibrato" :-O

[Shogunmiyuchan]

hmm, interesting.........in the cast: Graham Clark - Mime, Siegfried - as Himself ^_^

[closerange88]

I have this entire Ring and it's amazing!!! If you have been thinking about buying it, get it! The Barenboim Ring is one of the best ever. Siegfried is my favorate of the Ring operas and this production will blow you away. I hope this was helpful.

[Siberiaeterna]

Where are MEN like him?....

[Gaigaia]

like the singer or the hero?

Men like siegfried doesnt exist.

I wish I could be one as great as him...or, at least, sing him

I cant

La comedia e finita

[lhrlyc]

Siegfried isn't really great, is he? he is an insufferable spoilt brat - vile man

[A7madeus]

@Gaigaia : this is Canio not siegfried :D

[williamforever1958]

@A7madeus O my God, you are so right. Jerusalems voice was always much too dark and much less metallic for Siegfried. But Barenboim offered him this role and he couldt not resist. It was the beginning of the end. Three years later I saw him (just saw him) some times as Lohengrin in Vienna and it was a desaster. All the smooth and lyrical colours of his voice were gone. What a pitty, William

[srg2457]

Barenboim's worth a mention for an exceptionally thrilling orchestral accompaniment.

[Horationelson4ever]

I have this on dvd and although I like the production (fabulous mime and wotan) I think that Siegfried himself is their weak aspect, he's a good singer but I think that he doesn't look very much like a child of nature in a boiler suit and the ginger hair makes him look ludicrous. Even though I see why they did it.

Great production though in my opinion 5stars :D

[huwcatchpoledavies]

This is my favorite part of the entire ring cycle!

[StokesDaddy]

hoho hoho hohei, yeah the next part is the best!!

[layne867]

Man, the next part of this bit is the best! Could you upload it please?

[MrGamestar007]

@layne867 Thats right

[NazTb0y]

man, what a teaser! it leaves one wanting more! the production's great too. it's postmodern, yet maintains the right atmosphere.

[pboast]

Excellent tenor , has real conviction and has good top register which sometimes you do not find in Wagnerian tenors, i know it is such a difficult part and must take hours of rehearsal so they have my sympathy

[mazurmusic7]

Brilliant Performance! Thanks you for posting!

[dcheutin]

I agree with you but I prefer the MET version !