Richard Wagner: Overtures And Preludes

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Barenboim is an excellent Wagner conductor, and it's a pity his ongoing series of Wagner operas is often forced to make do with less than splendid voices. All the more reason, then, to enjoy this excellent disc of overtures and preludes, all of which are played to the hilt by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and recorded in sound of superb amplitude. There are many collections of this type available, many of them very fine, and even more of them very dull. Barenboim plays the music with the necessary flexibility of tempo, but at the same time never turns it into a lecture on Schopenhaurian philosophy. It's a good listen. --David Hurwitz

Richard Wagner: Overtures And Preludes, Music, Richard Wagner, Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Classical, Classical Artists, Classical Music, German/Austrian Romantic Opera, Miscellaneous Music, Opera
Wagner: Overtures & Preludes
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • A well-kept secret
  • Essential Wagner
  • Excellent Wagner from a surprising source ... or maybe not!
  • Go For Boult
  • Memorable and dramatic- A must have for Wagner fans
 Wagner: Overtures & Preludes

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by WagnerAll Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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London Philharmonic OrchestraLondon Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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Similar Items:
  1. Wagner: Tristan und Isolde/Parsifal/Die Meistersinger Von Nürnberg/Lohengrin/Tannhäuser
  2. The Best Of Wagner
  3. Twilight of the Gods: The Essential Wagner Collection
  4. Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade; Capriccio Espagnol; Russian Easter Overture
  5. Wagner: The "Ring" Without Words

ASIN: B000002S08
Release Date: 1992-09-29

Tracks:

  1. Tannher: Overture
  2. Tannher: Grand March
  3. Der Fliegende Holler: Overture
  4. Tristan und Isolde: Prelude to Act 1
  5. Tristan und Isolde: Prelude to Act 3
  6. Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Overture
  7. Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Prelude to Act 3
  8. Lohengrin: Prelude to Act 1

Tracks:

  1. Lohengrin: Prelude to Act 3
  2. Parsifal: Prelude to Act 1
  3. Parsifal: Act 1 Transformation scene
  4. Parsifal: Prelude to Act 3
  5. Parsifal: Good Friday Music
  6. Das Rheingold: Entrance of the Gods
  7. Die Walkure: Ride of the Walkyries
  8. Siegfried: Forest murmurs
  9. Gotterdammerung: Siegfried's Rhine Journey
  10. Gotterdammerung: Siegfried's Funeral March

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A well-kept secret.......2007-05-18

Everyone wants to have a crack at the "bleeding chunks" eventually, and while I love the flashier Stoky and Furtwangler approach, I wouldn't want to be without the Boult. He's a great Wagnerian, strange as it may seem. Who could blame him for not wanting to go down in history merely as the finest Holstian? As long as this stays in print, Ormandy will still be considered the least sexy conductor. (I heard CBS researchers found an Ormandy fan once!)

5 out of 5 stars Essential Wagner.......2006-06-17

As a child, this set was my first experience of Wagner's music, and it made quite an impression on me. However, as I grew older and began to collect the full operas I felt I could surely do better than Adrian Boult and the British for a collection of the preludes, overtures, and orchestral music from the operas. I was wrong. I have yet to here any recordings that can match the power and intensity as demonstrated in these discs from Boult and the LSO (and LPO). The Meistersinger prelude alone is worth the price, and the only version of the prelude to Tristan which outdoes the one here is Bohm's live 1966 Tristan. The Solti, Karajan, and Klemperer highlight discs have their moments (and truthfully, I do prefer Solti and Karajan for the "Ring" highlights), but their contributions are greatest in the full operas, and overall, they simply can't muster the power and intensity that Boult brings to these preludes, overtures, etc.

Even if you have other compilations of Wagner's music in "bleeding chunks", I can assure you they don't come close to this one; and with two discs (the second containing mostly music from Parsifal and the "Ring") at 14 bucks, there is absolutely no excuse not to have this essential recording. So go ahead and buy this disc, never buy another Wagner compilation again, and with the money you save get started on the more important task at hand: the full operas.

5 out of 5 stars Excellent Wagner from a surprising source ... or maybe not!.......2004-09-27

Does Sir Adrian Boult conjure up of images of Gustav Holst and Ralph Vaughn Williams, but not Wagner? You're not alone! Nevertheless, this is a double CD set not to be missed! Many years ago, I was listening to a classical radio music station in NYC that was playing the music of Wagner. The performance was so good, that I wouldn't leave the radio until I found out the name of the conductor. When the announcer said the conductor was Sir Adrian Boult, I was quite surprised. I had recordings of English music from Sir Adrian on Angel/EMI, but I never associated that conductor with Wagner. Having been blessed with a friend who had knowledge of classical music way beyond his years, I gave him a call to find out more about the recording. He told me that, Boult had solid expertise in the area of Germanic music, but, in England, had been overshadowed in that repertoire by Otto Klemperer. He told me not to be surprised about Boult's very fine Wagner, it was an excellent recording to purchase and, indeed, search out Sir Adrian's wonderful performance of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony (now available on Vanguard). Fast-forward many years and I find myself browsing through Amazon for a recording of Wagner's Overtures and Preludes. Like everyone else I know, I foolishly jettisoned my LPs in the 1990s and have been "back-filling" ever since. Well, I was able to obtain this splendid set for less than $7 per CD! There are a total of 18 selections covering most of Wagner's operas including five excerpts from the Ring Cycle. The performances are excellent coming from no less than three British orchestras, and the sound is top-shelf EMI. Sir Adrian's pacing is measured and his vision is broad and sensitive, highlighting the beauty and grandeur --rather than just the fire-- of this glorious music. I heartily recommend this two-CD set, and at this price, I think it's a steal.

5 out of 5 stars Go For Boult.......2003-07-08

Sir Adrian Boult is best known for his recordings of the British repertoire, and his performances, particularly of Holst's "The Planets" and Elgar's Symphonies and Orchestral Works, are legendary. But Boult was also an excellent conductor of Beethoven, Brahms and Wagner, and this 2-CD set collects the Overtures and Preludes of the latter German titan. These stereo recordings from the early to mid-1970s with the New Philharmonia Orchestra, and London Philharmonic and Symphony Orchestras are truly first rate. EMI's set compares nicely in terms of price, quality and musical offerings with competing sets by DG (Bohm, Kubelik, et al) and Sony (Ormandy & Szell). You might have reservations about getting German music conducted by a Brit, but you really can't go wrong with Boult.

4 out of 5 stars Memorable and dramatic- A must have for Wagner fans.......2000-03-20

I bought this cd for the following reasons: 1 I'm a Wagner fan, 2 the cover looks exquisite and 3 I wanted to hear a "prelude" since it sounds fancy and never heard one. The result is great cd. The Tannhauser overture, Tristan and Isolde prelude and Lohengrin Prelude to act 3 are all very excellent. Excerpts from the Ring of the Nibelunge aren't as good as I had anticipated but are still enjoyable. The music speaks the tales of Wagner's operas. Just hear it, as slow and irksome as they maybe, these preludes make you feel the tragic love of Tristan and Isolde, the epic odyssey of Lohengrin and the holy, heavenly spirit in Parsifal as he discovers the Holy Grail. Buy this CD and you won't regret it. Except that one bit from Gotterdammerung, Siegfried's Funeral March. It does'nt quite have the feel of grand disaster as it did in John Boorman's film Excalibur. If you're hoping to find that version(which is better) stick with the Classics Go To The Movies Vol 2 cd. But all the other pieces on this CD are excellent. Go and buy this CD- now !
Wagner: Preludes & Overtures [Hybrid SACD]
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Wagner: Preludes & Overtures [Hybrid SACD]

    Manufacturer: Pentatone
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    4. Mahler: Symphony No. 5
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    ASIN: B0002TX9F2
    Release Date: 2004-12-14
    Richard Wagner: Overtures And Preludes
    Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
    • Not the best Wagner orchestral works available.
    • Over the top, even for Wagner fans
    • Competent...for casual listeners
    • Caricature conducting
    • Superb playing
    		 Richard Wagner: Overtures And Preludes
    Richard Wagner , Daniel Barenboim , and Chicago Symphony Orchestra
    Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    All Works by WagnerAll Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    Barenboim, DanielBarenboim, Daniel | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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    Similar Items:
    1. Wagner: Overtures & Preludes, Vol. 2
    2. John Dowland: Complete Lute Works, Vol. 3
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    5. Beethoven: Sonataen - Waldstein, Les Adieux, Appassionata

    ASIN: B000000SS2
    Release Date: 1996-01-09

    Tracks:

    1. Der fliegende Hollander
    2. Tannhauser
    3. Lohengrin: Act I
    4. Lohengrin: Act III
    5. Overtures And Preludes: Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg
    6. Tristan und Isolde: Prelude - Liebestod

    Amazon.com essential recording

    Barenboim is an excellent Wagner conductor, and it's a pity his ongoing series of Wagner operas is often forced to make do with less than splendid voices. All the more reason, then, to enjoy this excellent disc of overtures and preludes, all of which are played to the hilt by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and recorded in sound of superb amplitude. There are many collections of this type available, many of them very fine, and even more of them very dull. Barenboim plays the music with the necessary flexibility of tempo, but at the same time never turns it into a lecture on Schopenhaurian philosophy. It's a good listen. --David Hurwitz

    Customer Reviews:

    3 out of 5 stars Not the best Wagner orchestral works available........2003-09-22

    It would be an understatement to say that some tracks on this CD are performed better than others. Barenboim is inconsistant in his interpretations. His best recording is Die Meistersinger and it is quite good. He uses an acceptable pace and does not limit the orchestra's sound. Nor does he try and institute sudden tempo fluctuations that make absoulutely no sense whatsoever. The selections from Lohengrin are pretty good. The prelude to Act I is deliberate but convincing. It is not heavy handed and both Barenboim and the orchestra do manage to produce positive results. The prelude to Act III is driven and fast. The one negative aspect of the recording is that in one section the playing is incohesive and the orchestra does not sound together. Der fliegende Hollander is fair. Barenboim makes the mistake towards the end of the piece by using ritards and accelerandos that do not come off effectively. The beginning of the work is fine however. Tristan und Isolde is okay when the prelude is played but the Love Death is too constricted and lacks the passion needed to make it convincing. The orchestra's sound is very limited in scope. The turkey on this CD is the overture to Tannhauser. Barenboim takes the work at an agonizingly slow tempo and uses frazing that is underlined in blood. The orchestra is not permitted to bring out a powerful sound that is a necessity for this composition and at times they do not manage to stay together. This Tannhauser overture is to be avoided at all costs, even if it is the last recording available in the store.

    2 out of 5 stars Over the top, even for Wagner fans.......2003-07-13

    Barenboim is not my favorite conductor and his ham-fisted attempts at producing a subtle atmosphere produces its fair share of cringes. The overture to "Tannhauser" (sorry, my keyboard has no umlaut), is rendered here without discernible emotion or feeling, the whole performance is maddeningly flat. Barenboim does a better job on the overture to "Der fliegende Hollander," (again, apologies for no umlaut) but the string section goes off on some shrill tangent halfway through the piece. It's a little like a cat stumbling over piano keys smeared with butter.

    My most brutal criticism is reserved for the tepid, chilly and uninspiring "Liebestod." This is one of the most exquisite and exciting pieces of music ever produced, but one would scarcely know that listening to this version. I'd never thought it possible to nod off during the "Liebestod," but Barenboim actually achives this unenviable feat in this dismal recording.

    Wagner fans will know this disc is a bomb, so I say this to the uninitiated: look elsewhere to hear Wagner's genius. This is like the Beatles being played on an organ grinder.

    3 out of 5 stars Competent...for casual listeners.......2003-04-01

    Barenboim's interpretations are competent, but hardly touch the potential of this music, especially the Tannhauser and the Tristan.

    The recording quality is average. Lacks detail and is often overwhelmed by boomy tympany; really a shame considering the richness of Wagner's use of horns.

    If you're a casual Wagner listener, this recording is OK and may satisfy you. If you're a serious Wagner fan or audiophile, you'll probably be disappointed.

    1 out of 5 stars Caricature conducting.......2002-03-09

    I love these pieces, but was very disappointed by the performances on this CD. The conductor seems to have no conception of subtlety. He excels at grossly exaggerated gestures--transitions are ham-fisted, fast tempi are blasted through full bore, slow tempi are dragged out painfully. Orchestral textures that are finely balanced in other renditions are a muddled blur in this recording, even at ultra slow tempo. Listen on headphones and hear someone (the conductor, presumably) grunting along with the melody line (Lohengrin, Act III prelude, Meistersinger). I would recommend other versions of this great music (i.e., Solti).

    5 out of 5 stars Superb playing.......2001-10-23

    Having just read "Wagner Remembered" by Stewart Spencer, my first real contact with Richard Wagner, I felt compelled to at least listen to some of the music and with this CD I purchased my first listen at Wagner. Subsequently wanting to hear more than just the overtures I purchased the "Twightlight of the Gods" Cd (Apocalypse Now Helicopters on the cover-Orchestra and Conductor unidentified), so there is some basis for comparison. Had Richard Wagner listened to Twighlight of the Gods he would have thrown up, his systems would have been overcome. Questionable playing destroys even the best music. I mention this as a basis to compare The Chicago Sympony Orchestra on Richard Wagner, Overtures and Preludes. Without saying that somewhere it has been done better, it is difficult to imagine a rendition of this music more accurately in tune with what Wagner must have intended. There is a subtlety and scope to this recording, a beauty and breadth that makes one believe that you are looking through the mind of the composer. This is other than to say you would be unable to argue with tempo here or style there or other acquired tastes. Richard Wagner, for all his personal flaws, was one of the best composers. Use of Orchestra, imagination, emotion, melody and use of melody, etc. etc., existed in the mind of this man as in few others. CSO superbly conducted, give perfect playing and to this novice re Wagner do full justice to this great music.
    Wagner: Overtures and Preludes
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Buy this recording for the first 4 tracks
    		 Wagner: Overtures and Preludes

    Manufacturer: Umvd Labels
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    All Works by WagnerAll Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    Levine, JamesLevine, James | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    New York Philharmonic OrchestraNew York Philharmonic Orchestra | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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    ASIN: B0000D1FLL
    Release Date: 2003-10-14

    Tracks:

    1. Overture From the Flying Dutchman
    2. Overture From Tannhauser
    3. Prelude To Act I From Lohengrin
    4. Prelude To Act III From Lohengrin
    5. Prelude From Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg - Giuseppe Sinopdi
    6. Prelude And Liebestod From Tristan Und Isolde - James Levine

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Buy this recording for the first 4 tracks.......2007-06-30

    Buy this recording for the first four tracks, which are by Karl Bohm and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra: Overtures to "The Flying Dutchman",
    "Tannhauser", and Preludes to Acts I and III of "Lohengrin". Excellent playing and sound, as you would expect, expertly remastered for this budget Universal Classics release.

    I cannot recommend Austrian conductor Karl Bohm (1894-1981) enough!
    Wagner: Preludes & Overtures
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Dorati Conducts Wagner
    • Get Mercury Living Presence Before Its Dead
    		 Wagner: Preludes & Overtures

    Manufacturer: Philips
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    All Works by WagnerAll Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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    ASIN: B0000057ME
    Release Date: 1994-09-20

    Tracks:

    1. Die meistersinger von nurnberg : Overture
    2. Parsifal : Good Friday Spell
    3. Lohengrin : Prelude To Act 1
    4. Lohengrin : Prelude To Act 3
    5. Tannhauser : Overture And Venusberg Music
    6. Tristan und isolde : Prelude And Liebestod

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Dorati Conducts Wagner.......2005-12-01

    Wow!! I had no idea that among conductor Antal Dorati's many recordings, now prominently sold on the Mercury Living Presence Label, was Wagner Overtures and Preludes. This was a real treat for me. Initially, I thought Dorati couldn't handle Wagner music, having heard his unbeatable Tchaikovsky works, his Haydn symphonies, his Beethoven symphonies and his modern 20th century works like Milhaud. Wagner's music has called attention to many great conductors and there are certainly greater choices for this orchestral Wagner music. Consider Karajan, Solti, Bohm, Barenboim, Jochum, Pappano and the English conductor Sir Adrian Boult. All of these deliver terrific accounts of Wagner overtures and operatic preludes. But Dorati, my God, what a fresh and welcome change. Digitally remastered from the old LP, this is an affordable and exciting rendition. Dorati may not rise to the status of Karajan, Solti or Bohm, but he does an incredibly dramatic and thrilling, powerful and magnetic reading of the scores. Especially striking are the Overture to Meistersinger, Tannhauser, Parsifal Good Friday Music and the Prelude and Liebestod of Tristan and Isolde. The only weak link here is the superfast account of Lohengrin Prelude to Act 3. I've never heard it played this fast. Its lightening speed detracts from the Wagnerian beauty of this piece. Sure it's a meant to describe something dramatic and epic but its sloppy and fast on here. But no matter. Everything else is absolutely brilliant. Dorati DID MASTER WAGNER. People forget how masterful Dorati's conducting of The Flying Dutchman was. He made a full length recording starring George London and Leonye Rysanek which is unbelievable and ranks among the best recordings.

    5 out of 5 stars Get Mercury Living Presence Before Its Dead.......2003-07-15

    When I first started collecting classical CDs, I only had a few Mercury Living Presence (MLP) titles. In my quest to get the absolute best, or at least a definitive recording, of the major works of the standard repertoire, MLP discs rarely topped the critics' lists. In fact, only three MLP recordings have been earmarked as "Essential Recordings" by amazon -- Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, Byron Janis performing Rachmaninov's 2nd & 3rd Piano Concertos, and Yehudi Menuhin performing Bartok's 2nd Violin Concerto, all three with Antal Dorati as conductor. It is also safe to say that three other titles are equally essential for their historical value alone. They are Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake by Dorati (the first recording of the complete ballet), Janis performing Liszt's Piano Concertos (the first recordings made in the Soviet Union by American technicians, musical staff and equipment), and Kubelik's Chicago Symphony performance of Pictures at an Exhibition (one of, if not the single best mono recording ever, and the one that led the New York Times critic to coin the phrase "Living Presence," from which the label named its series). But how does a CD line go from having a half-dozen must have recordings, to being this reviewer's all-time favorite classical label?

    The answer: consistently magical performances, captured in brilliant golden-age stereo sound, that offer a slightly different take on your typical interpretation of the great works. While MLP titles may not offer the best standard account of a work, they always surprise you and open you up to all the possibilities that the music has to offer. For example, this performance of Wagner Preludes and Overtures by Dorati is probably not the consensus first choice recording as discs by Klemperer, Walter, Szell/Ormandy and Bohm/Kubelik offer more music and overall are better values. With that being said, I constantly come back to this disc for a different perspective, and its vibrancy and splendor never disappoint me. Maybe that is why collectors prize these recordings, because they are a breath of fresh air in a homogenized world of listening. Of course, collectors love a challenge too, and MLP CDs are becoming increasingly hard to find. It has taken years for me to finally find all of the MLP CDs released to date, and unfortunately I don't think there will be any new releases forthcoming. So collectors, and even those who aspire to be, should pick up as many Mercury Living Presence discs as possible now, before they all die.
    Wagner: Preludes and Overtures; Orchestral Works
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Very fine of orchestral highlights and rarities
    		Wagner: Preludes and Overtures; Orchestral Works

    Manufacturer: Angel Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    All Works by WagnerAll Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    RomanticRomantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    MarchesMarches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    OverturesOvertures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
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    GermanGerman | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    MarchesMarches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
    ASIN: B00005UVAN
    Release Date: 2005-07-14

    Tracks:

    1. Overture - Orchestre Phillharmonique De Radio France
    2. Prelude - Orchestre Phillharmonique De Radio France
    3. Act I: Prelude - Orchestre Phillharmonique De Radio France
    4. Act III: Prelude - Orchestre Phillharmonique De Radio France
    5. Siegfried-Idyll - Orchestre Phillharmonique De Radio France
    6. Act I: Prelude - Orchestre Phillharmonique De Radio France
    7. Act III: Prelude - Orchestre Phillharmonique De Radio France
    8. Dance Of The Apprentices - Orchestre Phillharmonique De Radio France
    9. Finale - Orchestre Phillharmonique De Radio France

    Tracks:

    1. Kaisermarsch - London Symphony Orchestra
    2. Eine Faust-Ouverture - London Symphony Orchestra
    3. Huldigungsmarsch - London Symphony Orchestra
    4. Overture - London Symphony Orchestra
    5. Grosser Festmarsch (Centennial March), For The Centenary Of Indpendence Of USA. - London Symphony Orchestra
    6. Overture - London Symphony Orchestra

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Very fine of orchestral highlights and rarities .......2004-08-10

    This set, with Marek Janowski, offers the best disk of Wagner's early overtures and later occasional pieces that I know of, as well as a well-played disk of better-known "bleeding chunks" from the operas.

    Disk One, with the French Radio Phil, offers mainstream Wagner excerpts: the _Tannhäuser_ overture, the _Tristan_ prelude, the preludes to _Lohengrin_ Acts I and III, the _Siegfried Idyll_ and the _Meistersinger_ overture, with orchestral selections from Act III. All of this is very well played, and towards the top third, let's say, of a very crowded and competitive field. That makes them very good indeed.

    But disk 2, with the London Symphony Orchestra, offers some less common pieces, perhaps more enticing to the serious Wagnerian: the _Kaisermarsch_, the _Faust Overture_, the _Huldigungsmarsch_, the _Die Feen_ overture, the _American Centennial March_ and the _Das Liebesverbot_ overture.

    The Janowski/LSO disk offers easily the best playing of most of this music that I've ever heard. The _Faust_ overture in particular shines, as perhaps the earliest piece of great music that Wagner wrote. As is often the case with early Wagner, it sounds a bit like unknown Beethoven, with additional orchestral flavouring from Weber, but for the first time you hear a new voice: Wagner's own. This comes in the form of a new richness and darkness in orchestration (though the version played here includes revised orchestration by the mature Wagner), plus a real and effective dramatic instinct, allied with strong and distinctive themes. Wagner said the _Faust_ overture is the piece with which he "became Wagner", and he is surely right.

    Janowski even manages to convince me that there's some merit in the _American Centennial_ march, probably the worst music written by the mature Wagner, despite, as Cosima's _Diaries_ show, his sincere admiration for America. I've heard this piece in three other performances, in each of which it struck me as banal, emptily noisy, and interminable. But the London SO under Janowski work a miracle in finding some forward propulsion and argument, some contrasts of light and shade, and making the piece come quite close to working. It's only a small miracle, because even when brilliantly played this still isn't great music. But if you have to hear the American Centennial March_ at all, this is certainly the version to hear.

    The _Kaisermarsch_ is perhaps beyond rescue, but again, Janowski offers as good and as committed a performance of this piece as one is ever likely to hear. He also offers the best _Huldigungsmarsch_ I know of, and excellent accounts of the _Die Feen_ and _Das Liebesverbot_ overtures. Though the very best performances of these operatic overtures that I've heard are the versions that open the Sawallisch complete sets of these two operas.

    For very good versions of familiar orchestral excerpts from the mature operas, plus outstanding performances of some Wagner rarities, this disk is strongly recommended.

    Cheers!


    Laon

    Wagner: Siegfried-Idyll, Overtures & Preludes, Die Meistersinger, Flying Dutchman, Lohengrin
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • One of my absolute favorites!
    		 Wagner: Siegfried-Idyll, Overtures & Preludes, Die Meistersinger, Flying Dutchman, Lohengrin

    Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon / Polygram Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD
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    ASIN: B00000E3ER
    Release Date: 1990-10-25

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars One of my absolute favorites!.......2005-03-19

    Simply an extraordinary collection of instrumental music! When you want to hear Wagner's operatic mastery sans singing, play this vintage CD and experience sound and performances akin to sitting in "the sweet spot" of a premier hall during a live concert! Sinopoli and the NYPO really did themselves proud with this project. Highly recommended! The music is magnificent from beginning to end, but my personal favorites are the two Lohengrin excerpts. This disc is yet another example of an excellently engineered, mid-1980s digital recording that has stood the test of time. A shame it's becoming ungodly rare... if you could only own ONE "Wagner" CD, you could do far worse! Snap it up while you can.
    Wagner: Preludes & Overtures
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Wagner: Preludes & Overtures
      Haitink , and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
      Manufacturer: Eloquence/Universal
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
      ASIN: B00005LAFI
      Release Date: 2005-07-08
      Wagner: Preludes; Overtures; Liebestod
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		Wagner: Preludes; Overtures; Liebestod

        Manufacturer: EMI Classics
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        All Works by WagnerAll Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        OverturesOvertures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
        Studer, CherylStuder, Cheryl | ( S ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
        Romantic (c.1820-1910)Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
        GermanGerman | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
        4-for-3 Classical4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
        4-for-3 All Music4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
        ASIN: B0000DIGKQ
        Release Date: 2005-03-01

        Tracks:

        1. Parsifal - Prelude
        2. Eine Faust-Ouverture
        3. Columbus-Ouverture
        4. Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg - Prelude
        5. Tristan Und Isolde - Prelude, Act I
        6. Tristan Und Isolde - Mild Und Leise Wie Er Lachelt (Liebestod, Act III)
        Wagner: Overtures & Preludes, Vol. 2
        Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
        • A Great Wagner Orchestra
        		 Wagner: Overtures & Preludes, Vol. 2

        Manufacturer: Teldec
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        All Works by WagnerAll Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        RomanticRomantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
        Barenboim, DanielBarenboim, Daniel | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
        Romantic (c.1820-1910)Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
        GermanGerman | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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        ASIN: B00002DEUM
        Release Date: 1999-11-09

        Tracks:

        1. Tannhauser: Prelude To Act III
        2. Parsifal: Prelude
        3. Parsifal: Good Friday Spell
        4. Rienzi: Overture
        5. Die Meistersinger: Prelude To Act III
        6. Die Meistersinger: Prize-Song (For Horn)
        7. Siegfried Idyll

        Customer Reviews:

        5 out of 5 stars A Great Wagner Orchestra.......2002-08-27

        What an orchestra! The CSO has the perfect sound for this type of music, and it doesn't hurt that Barenboim really knows what he's doing with Wagner's music. Every piece on this disc is played with great intensity and attention to detail. The sound is vivid as well, though it makes the high brass sound a little bright at times. Overall, this is well worth hearing. Just be sure to ignore the picture of Barenboim and that dumb hat...

        Music Review:

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