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Ralph Moore's Pristine Wagner review
Posted by Todd Schurk on April 26, 2010, 5:46 am
In Mr. Moore's review of the first 3 parts of the '53 Kraus Bayreuth Ring issued by Pristine Audio he states that the 1953 Bayreuth cycle was Gustav Neidlinger's first undertaking of Alberich. In fact he had sung the role the year before(also at Bayreuth)for the '52 Keilberth cycle. This is available (or was at least) on Melodram and Archipel labels. It is better recorded than the '53 Ring, better played, and vocally equal or above the Kraus.
I do not know Keilberth's '52 Ring des Nibelungen, but I do have a moderately good transfer of his '53 traversal of the cycle (Andromeda) and find that aurally more appealing than my copy of the Krauss '53 (Foyer). It is good that the latter is now available in better sound. Doubtless the others will sound better, too, if subjected to sophisticated restoration techniques as applied by Pristine. But what becomes very clear is that we need a reasoned comparison of all the great 50s Rings available in the best possible sound, yet concentrating on interpretative values above all. I hope someone on MusicWeb is up to doing this! Ralph Moore might have arrived at his present estimation of Hotter before now if he had listened to the last scene of Walküre with Nilsson recorded in '57 in pretty good sound - or to a lot of wonderful Lieder on disc, but I suppose he means to say "Hotter as Wotan". One comparison - Vinay as Siegmund sounds to my ears significantly better in the Keilberth '53 recording, made during the same season as the Krauss. I love both Varnay and Mödl, but the latter's assumption of Brünnhilde is both more dramatically exciting and more touching than Varnay's - just as her Isolde of the previous year trumps Varnay's in the '53 Jochum performance.
I do indeed possess the 1957 recording you refer to but already detect the signs of wear and unsteadiness which marked Hotter's voice and I have no great love of his voice in Lieder. I admire his artistry but have equally always found problems with his vocal quality, which is best suited to the role of Wotan unless it starts to sound hollow and hoarse.
It's no good, I think, dismissing sound purely in favour of interpretative values when there is such a disparity between the various versions available. It's OK for the experienced, aficionado listener, but novices need guidance so as not to be scandalised by paying good money for fuzzy mono, when it's important to have sound good enough to enable the listener to hear orchestral detail, no?
I agree that a comparative overview review would be helpful.
