Das Rheingold II - finale

[Napoleontas]

Salutations to the Great German nation from Greece.

[Annasea666]

come on Riff, put your hump into it!

[paulostroff99]

Delightful.TY Trisolde for posting.

[dungeonbachelor]

Loge reminds me of Riff Raff from the Rocky Horror Picture Show

[unclealand]

This is a splendid Ring, musically and conceptually. End of 35-year argument. It even gives a nice nod to Ingmar Bergman's "The Seventh Seal" the way the gods desperately link their arms on their way to Valhalla and their doom.

[krischan67]

" Zur Burg führt die Brücke,

leicht und doch fest euerm Fuß

beschreitet ihr ihren schrecklosen Pfad"

Epic!

[platero55]

Is there some law that says that the Ring Cycle can only be staged with winged helmets and such? This isn't a fantasy about gods and heroes prancing through the forest, it's bone-chilling tale of gods and heroes coming to very bad ends brought about by their avarice, hypocrisy and/or stupidity. While a few "modern" productions have fallen on their faces, the Boulez/Chereau production was a spectacular success that was greeted with catcalls at first, and standing ovations later.

[jgesselberty]

@platero55 Ha ha. Because the intelligent people who gave it catcalls just gave up.

[jdheather1]

I stayed up half the night for a week in '76 to see this stupendous performance through to it's amazing finale. First time I had ever watched Wagner. Worth every bloody minute too!

[twooffour]

The Dwarf looks like Danny de Pinguin :DD

[Fasolt100]

Ottima esecuzione ma, il mio preferito in quest'opera, è Sir Georg Solti con i Wiener Philharmoniker. Molto bella pure quella di Karajan con i Berliner pur se di concezione completamente diversa.

[dawidjoseph05]

vivat Wagner the best german composer and one's the best world composers

do not listen nonsenses that Wagner was a nazi composer

this complete nonsense

how Wagner could to be a nazi when he died in 1883 ? ( 40 years before creation of NSDAP )

[windstorm1000]

I just know there are millions of Wagnerites that feel the same way I do of frankenstein directors ignorning the composer's INTENTIONS and doing whatever the f--- they want in the name of their warped artistic nightmares. Why do they foist their s--- on helpless audience members who have to sit through 14 hours of their drivel (NOT the music mind you). Please write your U.S opera co.s people and tell them you DONT want Chereau flavored sets infecting Wagner. We, as viewers have rights too.

[jgesselberty]

@windstorm1000 I completely agree. It was my understanding that Chereau had never even heard the operas prior to being engaged to do the staging. Makes sense. His staging shows he knows absolutely nothing of Wagner's vision. Why this and even more modern productions think they have to outguess the composer is beyond me. Better to stage it as a concert performance and let the music tell the story than to produce the ugly spawn of some clueless director.

[windstorm1000]

Is there a way to BAN this INFAMOUS production from You Tube? Its TERRIBLE in every aspect & a travesty to Wagner's detailed libretto. This is Valhalla? Geez, who would want to go THERE?? And yet in W. 's libretto its a shining gold palace. It is the conceit of these techno directors--of whom Chereau is the 'grandfather' --to update Wagner and make it 'relevant'! F--- That! I like the ancient beautiful productions of Otto Schenk & even Wieland W. is ok--he was TASTEFUL in his moderness.

[jgesselberty]

@windstorm1000 If I want relevance, I'll read the paper. If I want fantasy and beauty, I will listen to Wagner. The modern versions are just saying that the audience is too stupid to get the message, so they have to spell it out in modern terms.

[krischan67]

IMO the Rhinegold opera is the best part of the whole cycle. I absolutely love the mind-blowing ouverture and the finale I just can't hear the Rhinegold finale often enough, in particular the first and the last 2 minutes of this. Apart from that, Ride of the Valkyries and (the most epic part of music I know) Siegfried's funeral march.

It's the superb acting and the awesome sceneries which made the Jahrhundertring grand. A flawless musical performance is mandatory for any performance, of course.

[IrishClaudius]

@krischan67 You have Boulez and Chereau to thank for the quality and foresight - wall street valhala must fall.

[rollie911]

@krischan67

do not discount Die Walkure, the finale of act I "Siegmund heiss ich" is terrific, as is most of Act 3 and the last 20 minutes, Wotan's farewell, is probably the saddest and most dramatic music ever written.

[molgra7]

If you are going to draw parallels between Der Rings and Tolkien, it is much more similar to the Quenta Silmarillion than LOTR. In the silmarillion, the silmarils were made by an elf and coveted by the dark lord, similar to how the ring in Wagner's piece was made by a dwarf and coveted by Wotan and the Giants.

This seems like a closer similarity than when sauron (a maiar) made the ring strictly for dominion over the children of illuvatar. imho

[Chrysothemis]

@treefallingup Yes and no. The thing is, while Tolkien always maintained that Wagner was no influence on him, many of the central concepts of LOTR are clearly original to Wagner, rather than just being shared source material.

That was my point, and I admit I put it very poorly.

[onceltom]

definitive!!!

[yankeehatinactor]

I just stepped outside the Fordham Law Library (located across 62nd from Lincoln Center) and heard part of the opening night of the Met's new staging of Das Rheingold. Awesome.

[koivandon]

@yankeehatinactor A truly mindblowing performance...

[doodeloo]

isn't this just the lord of the rings in German?

[Chrysothemis]

@doodeloo Kind of, yeah. Or rather, the Lord of the Rings is the Ring of the Niebelung in English.

[simariato]

@doodeloo The question should be more like : is the lod of the rings like a German legend? Yes. But it s actually more from the Icelandic Sagas. Tolkien and Wagner just changed a little bit the main story.

[krischan67]

What a wonderful scene! Mind-blowing. Epic!

Someone is not yet done with the gods!

[Nibelungenfrau]

so wonderful and great - I love the Rheingold - with Rheingold I started knowing Wagner. I love this part. Listening the fire's coming. Loge.

[TommyHaegin]

Donald MacIntyre is a very noble Wotan!

[StCorentin]

Zednick is an awesome Loge.

[StCorentin]

@oriola26

Yes and at the last performance of this production in 1980.

one hou and half of applause.

[2251813]

Ridiculous costumes, we're not in XVIII century. And where is the rainbow bridge, where is the Wahlhall they're speaking about?

[bonanzagrade]

@2251813 ,

18th century is about right. Surely you don't think this is about Norse legend. Wagner was a political radical. How about "Twilight of the Aristocracy". Marx was writing about the same time. Look deeper and you will like it more...promise.

[2251813]

@bonanzagrade

One can look deeper, perhaps one can write libraries and historicize the composer: but Wagner thought it was about Norse legend. Anyway I'm enough simply-minded to think that when they sing about Wahlhalla the audience would be grateful for seeing a Wahlhalla.

[2251813]

@bonanzagrade I was not offended, thank you for your comment. But I think that Rheingold IS an action story: perhaps there is more in it, but that comes AFTER. Too many directors try to go 'beyond' the story, and as a result the action is poor or uncomprehensible, costumes bizarre, scenes totally arbitrary and so on. Last week here in Milan I attended a Rheingold with a mimic ballet !!!!! Help! Save Wagner from eggheads!!!

[jgesselberty]

@2251813

The visual production has been placed ahead of the music in many newer performances. Every new production wants to make an almost anime-like production out ot it. Duh! It's all about the music.

[Gargantupimp]

@bonanzagrade Your absolutely right!! The Politcal-Philosophical views expressed so eloquently in this opera were absolutely ground breaking, and led to many truly benevolent historical developments!! His strong antisemitic messages and undertones were truly bold, daring, and genius in their subtlety! Would Hitler have tried to exterminate the vile vermin Juden without inspiration from this genuinely pure and noble music!! Would he have garnered so much support without this most sincere music!

[Gargantupimp]

@bonanzagrade Hey man I don't know what your talkin bout I just wanna spread Jew Hatin throughout the internet. Internets only good for 2 thangs Spreadin Jew Hatin and MASTERBATIN in any particular order of those 2.

[gpfoster1966]

Loge is cool! Kind of reminds me of Lurch!

[superfebs]

@gpfoster1966 LOL

[tzeleustremlennost]

Unusually courageous music, but I love "The Valkyrie" , Brünnhilde - woman-warrior , that has risen not only against the own father, but more - against the God (selbst).

Because the person fair and courageous has God in himself , and  can proclaim new laws of Life by own HIGHEST "I" - SELF.

[TheAmazingStalinist]

I love Germany. Lots of love from Bulgaria.

[sperryism]

What a silly set. Valhalla looks like a working class slum. Are the iron wheels supposed to somehow make this a commentary on the Industrial Revolution?

[conradjulian]

Wotan, like a dishonest businessman from a novel, tries to stiff the blue collar giants who built Valhalla for him, even though he admits they did a good job of it. Das Rheingold does have a class warfare subtext to it that 19th Century audiences would have noticed.

[ssballs]

@sperryism Actually yes.If you'll read about the 100 year anniversary Ring-production,Chereau and Boulez,that was excactly what they had in mind.And still,i think it was a major event in the arts.Even au courant in this 21-st century.I remember hearing the riot when it was live on the radio.

[amonasro100]

@ssballs

Yes you are right. I listend also at the radio and I still hear the trouble and riot.

Shauting and screeming was all over the place. But a few yeas later it turned out to be one of the most succesful productions at Bayreuth. I am sorry I couldnot see live.

[TIBUIN]

Watch: watch?v=I5i3GjwIyb8

[Trisolde]

Great, thanks for posting! May you post it here as a video response?

[karldschultz]

Rheingold is in one act. This is the finale to scene four.

[Doromir]

Donald McIntyre sang this whole ring beautifully. What a voice!

[Wittmann73]

Zednik = best Loge ever

[youseeityoudont]

Liszt was his father in law.Liszt was a great pianiast in his day but his music is not to be compared to Wagner as tLiszt could nevr get it right for his large scale works(symphonies) Tone poem and his piano works were his thing. Wagner spent years writing his opreas. Your sort of implying that Beethoven know jack shit because Mozart preceeded him. and Beethoven was a God! Best you know how to write music before you make inane statements .

[IchiTheRipper]

There is nothing "copied" about Wagner's style. Liszt is a phenomenal composer, but he is virtually incomparable to Wagner. I'd say Wagner is better. By quite a good stretch, though that's not to say Liszt wasn't excellent.

[TIBUIN]

Adis Reich: In prächtiger Glut prangt glänzend die Burg.

[wotansschwert]

absolutely mind-fucking...I thank you. x

[MilikUrdap]

With all due respect, to me, Schönberg is a derivated of Wagner's theories... Even if there are differences between both composers's works...

[TIBUIN]

beschreitet kühn ihren schrecklosen Pfad :Translation: terrorless path: hmmm

[Maddy4Me]

In terms of accompanying melody, it's my favourite line in opera. The modulation on "Pfad" brings me to tears!

[derSpuk]

zednik is the best loge ever!

[jlaurson]

Without a doubt. Dramatically, no singer/production combination has ever again reached that. (Well, that I've seen, at least.) Always reminds me of a mix of Gene Wilder and Otto Waalkes. :-)

[BonnieBlueFlag1314]

great loge

[TIBUIN]

Maybe wagner created the modern music and not schönberg

[aslom44]

Well, maybe:-) And from where did Schönberg get his thaughts? Have you heard Parsifal?

[blechmusik]

That´s a good one from hoogestefan, isn´t it? Was haben wir gelacht! ;-)

[TIBUIN]

Hi fellow americans & other yes-people, you listen to wagner.. .so I suggest: shout up!

[RheingoldxxL]

Eine sehr schöne Inszenierung ... danke für das Video!

[FredrickToben]

Banish the thought but I thought I saw someone from the Rocky Horror Show on this clip

[donde2k]

Looks like a very cool production. Too bad we couldn't have had this for LA Opera's first Ring, instead of Achim Freyer's flimsy puppet show.

[Wittmann73]

the last Loge I saw was dressed as a monk.

Dont ask me why there, either.

[devildogducky253]

why is loge a hunchback?

[deepfugue]

Wasn't Hephaestus (Vulcan in Roman mythology) labeled the lame smith? I read that Wagner's ring was a mixture of Greek and Roman mythology. As well, Loge is certainly burdened by Wotan's demands...too many arduous tasks could make a hunchback. This Loge is rather mimesque...fire and smth. But I talk too much, perhaps someone else will answer your good question to both our satisfaction.

[jpstenino]

Deepfuge...i think you are right on the mark...also, my favorite take on this question has always been that Loge's ENTIRE self is twisted.

[countceprano]

Dang, McIntyre is just excellent in this clip.  It's nice to get to hear this as he wasn't as recorded as his voice obviously merits. That high F at 3:08 is gorgeous. I just sat through Morris struggling through the Ring at the Met and though he had a fine voice once, anything above D is painful now.

[AmericanEvita]

this is very good...1980 production...its wonderfully sung and good looking but the one thing that makes me laugh a little is the incidental (or deliberate) "Riff-Raff" from Rocky Horror Picture Show costume for the character there at the beginning/end of this video lol

[henearg]

Straordinario

[GregOpera]

I like the Schenk, Schneider-Siemssen production at the MET much more.

[TIBUIN]

☻/

/▌

/ \

[CincyDude5]

The gods going up to Valhalla by going down into the stage. Sweet!

[DomesticImplications]

No they are not going up to Valhalla because they are on the bridge that leads to its gates. So they are merely going into Valhalla not up to it.

[CONTESTAR]

This is the most beautiful production of the Ring ever. Completely faithful to Wagner's "Kinder schaft Neues".

By no means do I like the german "Director's theatre" when it goes for sensation with provocative irrelevant settings. But this production set to Wagner's time of industrial revolution, marking the alleged beginning of decadence of morals, blows the mind with its beauty and excellent use of the acting skills of the superlative cast!

[Bolender]

Boulez is one of the most brilliant interpreters of Wagner because he remains so faithful to the score, avoiding melodramatic exaggeration. That said, he ruins it by teaming up with Chereau.

[youseeityoudont]

Boulez is an excellent conductor I just loath his own music.

[Maddy4Me]

Thank God, someone agrees with me! You're totally right.

[Johnabraytis]

Wow!

[TIBUIN]

Pierre Boulez ist phantastisch! - Besser als Karajan.

[Marleneagnes]

Of course he was a genious, he was German.

Lang Phasendeutschland!

[Chrshonore]

I dislike the modernist setting and costumes of this production; in my opinion, the Ring is best performed in a truly mythological/historical setting, complete with real Viking armor and the like

[wotan20]

I agree Chrshonore. The music is of course majestic. In fact, it's the pinnacle of musical accomplisments in the 19th century. The singers' are richly deserve praise also. The rest of the production should follow their example, by providing a dignified authentic appearance.

[jepcorp]

The trombones on this piece are THE pivotal instruments---with the horns carrying the melody beneath---truly composed by a master. AMAZING!

[Vendimi3]

Wonderful. Wonderful. Wonderful. This is written with god dictating

[cyclonesupercell]

oh my god , what a genius wagner is

[nbeausejour]

one of the most glorious and powerful works ever.

regardless of who Wagner was, this work is incredible.

[telephilia]

The full brass at the end gets one every time - you almost don't want it to end!

[Johnabraytis]

Wow! Thanks for that!

[LMJ314142]

I've been looking forward to listening to this all day!

[newsguy1972]

Great video, great music. Very moving. Thank you.

[skinboy8]

Sir Donald's voice is faultless; technically magnificent; but his acting is a little wooden. If only we could get his voice into James Morris' body, we'd have the perfect Wotan.

[ozna12]

my favorite wagner's opera next to lohengrin..

and zednik is the best loge ever

[hoogestefan]

Mahler was Czech actually. (at least from what we now call the Czech Republic)

[zhxtc]

讲这个没用。首先波西米亚当时是奥地利的一部分；再则马勒是犹太­人而非捷克民族；而且马勒讲德语，不会说半句捷克话，后半辈子也­是一直呆在维也纳。说马勒是捷克人毫无道理可言。

[Grimgerde]

Mahler -considered- himself an Austrian. As to his "actual" ethnicity, that's a different can of worms irrelevant to his music.

[blechmusik]

Like Kafka? Interesting....

[blechmusik]

@hoogestefan: Mahler war Tscheche? Kann jemand diesen Blödsinn löschen?

[mrmorganmusic]

I'm confused... is this '76 or '80?

[nosferatu101]

I believe it's a production that started in '76... but it was finally recorded in '80.

[theCommenteer]

Loge reminds me of Alan Greenspan.

[Taskat]

Eh? He does look like him, I guess. Of course, Loge was only on the Daily Show a few times, so Greenspan's still got him on that...

Joking, of course

[musikfanat]

I guess you'll be looking to be one of the Herrenvolk next...

[musikfanat]

Sounds like some undercover Nazis are watching this video. I like Wagner, but, no need to start looking for the Fourth Reich...

[skinboy8]

WTF?

[ric55]

I love this unusual production of the Ring. Zednik's Loge is a characterisation for all time. Loge-the only intellectual amongst the characters, with his ironic comments on Wotan's actions. What an incredible work of art, and what an achievement against all the odds for Richard Wagner.

[lovelymess]

Now we Americans are in a bit of a spot with our leaders and this strange war in Iraq.

I think it is always a good thing to separate a country's rulers or political misdeeds from the efforts and cultural contributions of its people.

The nation that gave us Shakespeare and Milton should also be proud.

[ottobaby0815]

oriola-Thanks you for your kind and understanding words. I am sure you are just as proud of your beautiful country and it`s rich history as I am of mine . I like England very much and always enjoyed travelling there .

[ottobaby0815]

Wonderful. When I hear this music I have to think of our fatherland. The mountains , the castles the woods and of course our glorious heritage. It`s good to be German.

[lovelymess]

You have the right to be proud.

Your people produced Wagner, Beethoven, Brahms, R Strauss...the list goes on and on...

This is a glorious production. Musically with Boulez at the podium it is a Ring like no other.

We hear inner voices that get buried with other conductors.

It shows that modernism can be beautiful with the right minds in charge.

[musikfanat]

I guess you will be happy to meet Anton Drexler and Dietrich Eckhart...

[richiedrr]

Wow.  Love Boulez on this. What people do now would make Chereau seem conservative.

[canafinwe]

Great!

I have it on dvd.

Donner isn't that good, I prefer a more masculine Donner, but the production is wonderful, McIntyre is a GOD, Hanna Schwartz is a GODDESS. Zednik is a genius.

[38983]

Why has it been ridiculed?

[x666666x]

At last I know what they're saying...

[incvoice]

Zuper!

[38983]

Wonderful! Thank you for uploading.

[hermanzoon]

McIntyre is a great Wotan. Such wonderful singing from him. This entire production video might be the best musically of any we have today.

[perskram]

Was deutet der Name?

[BonnieBlueFlag1314]

my god they are asking a pretty penny for them

[BonnieBlueFlag1314]

is this on dvd?

[Trisolde]

Of course it is - Deutsche Grammophon, use Amazon (Boulez, Chéreau, Ring).

[JCmusicalandm0re]

But well...he DOES look a lot like Riff-Raff. And even the text is a little bit the same. They both are surpressed figures who long to kill or in Loges case, consume there masters. FUnny, aint it.

ANyway...I LOVE Heinz Zednik

[CzarDodon]

This production was just a year after the film, and Zednik looks like RiffRaff anyhow, it was no coincidence and it fits perfectly.. good thing he didn't have Wotan in drag though :-)))

[advancedatheist]

Okay, why does Loge look like Riffraff from "Rocky Horror"?

[JCmusicalandm0re]

Maybe the most logical explanation is it's possition in the ranks of the Gods. While all the other gods are high and glorious, Loge is only a halfgod, pard element, part god. Wotan gave him the shape of one of them, but misshapen and not so well-dressed to keep him in a sort of sub-possition.

[advancedatheist]

I like Wotan, a god who takes charge of things.

[ariastoteles]

Loge! Logos! Laude!

[skutari]

thomas mann did't know anything about music just like hermann broch,,,so why bother what that bourgeois monkey said about wagner!!

[Andywolfff]

I just made a comment. You want a war vote Republican. I apologize for setting this off. But even my misquote asks how genius exists in evil. I'm not a scholar like you but the thought has haunted me for years. Again if I upset anyone I apologize.

[skutari]

THOMAS MANN IS AN IDIOT,,, !!!!

[Trisolde]

Calm down, please and do not use caps lock.

[18551119]

I don't think Thomas Mann wrote that Wagner was evil, at least not in his study which he wrote in 1933.

[Andywolfff]

Don't do grad stuff in that so out foot note me. The point is a brilliant performance. Try Ibid and be nice. You do Mann? I don't. Just enjoyed it here without abuse; sorry. Loge draws the curtain. Do not respond. Do me a favor. You think you sleep with Mann? Get a life and a date.

[18551119]

Very intelligent.

[Andywolfff]

not very intelligent but i try! i prefer the solti ring but this was great.

[Andywolfff]

Like Thomas Mann wrote who can a man so evil write such beauty

[sagalat]

As great Endings go, this compares favourably with those of Tannheuser and Madama Butterfly. Majestic. Wagner hammers us like the pathetic worms the rest of us are. No, WORSE than worms...parasites, grubs, so worthy of extermination. Dr. Kevorkian? Excuse me while i kill myself. A la prochaine

[Fafner79]

Great ending! I love this finale of das Rheingold. This is surely one of the better productions.

[billyguns2]

Shimmering, singing, balanced orchestral textures with wonderful forward momentum from Maestro Boulez and the wonderful orchestra; his repertoire may be limited, but what he does perform is always compelling and usually great. These eight or so minutes are among my favorite in all of opera, and the Chereau RING is marvelous. Good singing and acting, too!

[skutari]

loge loge!!!!

[Brunnhilda]

I love wagner, I love Chereau!

[dorotheafayne]

Jerusalem is very cool.

[diekken]

Richard Wagner, what a genius!

[piterdevries]

Loge!

[PatricioSouza]

Apesar de o "Anel" de Chéreau/Boulez não ser dos melhores, tenho um carinho especial por essa montagem, por ter sido o primeiro "Der Ring des Nibelugen" a que assisti, em 2005. A cena final do "Rheingold" foi de grande impacto para mim.

[evangelion53]

This is so much faster than I'm used to. But my favourite part (the Rheintöchter) sounds transcendent.

[rartbellsr]

Marvelous clip. Wish it started a couple of minutes earlier in the opera to capture Donner's invocation of the storm and the hair-raising sound from the orchestra when he swings his hammer.

[icarusinbrazil]

wonerful

[pathetiqueous]

great!