The second complete Ring cycle to appear on DVD is a marked improvement on its predecessor in the medium; Levine's consummate performance is not only better sung and s... more >
The second complete Ring cycle to appear on DVD is a marked improvement on its predecessor in the medium; Levine's consummate performance is not only better sung and staged than Pierre Boulez's fitfully impressive set, this new DGG package looks infinitely more striking: Brain Large's direction makes the most of every dramatic moment in Wagner's operatic masterpiece, demonstrating again and again why Large is the most important director of opera on film in the history of an uneasy alliance. Large's approach is unlike, say, Ingmar Bergman's radical version of Mozart's' Magic Flute - he is always at the service of the work, pointing up the nuances of the performance along with dramatic power and breadth of the big moments (such as the destruction of Valhalla the opera's conclusion).
The singing in this DVD Ring is non-pareil, with Siegfried Jerusalem's heroic Siegfried a definitive hero, both naïve and ardent, while James Morris's mesmerising Wotan is perfectly integrated into Levine's stunning sound picture. And if Hildegarde Behrens's Brunhilde is more variable, she's still highly impressive. Another plus is the remarkable design contribution from Otto Scheck and Gunther Schenider-Siemssen - and picture and sound quality are top-drawer. < less
