Wagner: Ring Odyssey

Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine;
Swensen, Joseph

Alpha 1072

‘If, in a parallel universe, Wagner wrote a symphony rather than a sixteen-hour Ring, it might actually resemble my Ring Odyssey.’ These are the words used by the new music director of the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, Joseph Swensen, to present this anthology of Der Ring des Nibelungen for soprano, tenor, bass-baritone, male chorus and orchestra, which he composed on the basis of Wagner’s monumental tetralogy. The American conductor confesses that, during a performance of Tristan, Wagner was suddenly revealed to him as ‘a dreamer’ full of ‘humility, tenderness, vulnerability and generosity’. Swensen has made a point of following the chronology of the operas and respecting the original music: ‘My solemn promise to Wagner was that, aside from the occasional solo timpani roll denoting the passage of time, I would not change or add a single note to his masterpiece.’ An enthralling traversal, recorded at a memorable concert and delivered by exceptionally committed singers and instrumentalists.

Works:

•Wagner: Das Rheingold, WWV 86A, Scene 1
• Wagner: Das Rheingold, WWV 86A, Scene 2
• Wagner: Das Rheingold, WWV 86A, Scene 4: Donner Summons the Thunderstorm to Reveal Valhalla (Reworked by Joseph Swensen)
• Wagner: Die Walküre, WWV 86B, Act I
• Wagner: Die Walküre, WWV 86B, Act II: Prelude - Wotan and Frika Argue over Siegmund’s Immorality (Reworked by Joseph Swensen)
• Wagner: Die Walküre, WWV 86B, Act III
• Wagner: Siegfried, WWV 86C: Act II, Prelude - The Dragon’s cave (Reworked by Joseph Swensen)
• Wagner: Siegfried, WWV 86C, Act II
• Wagner: Siegfried, WWV 86C: Act III, Prelude (Reworked by Joseph Swensen)
• Wagner: Siegfried, WWV 86C, Act III: "Ewig war ich" - Brünnhilde Accepts Siegfried’s Love and Renounces the Glory of the Gods (Reworked by Joseph Swensen)
• Wagner: Götterdämmerung, WWV 86D, Prologue
• Wagner: Götterdämmerung, WWV 86D, Act II: Hagen Summons the Gibichung Vassals to War (Reworked by Joseph Swensen)
• Wagner: Götterdämmerung, WWV 86D: Act III, Prelude - The Rhine Maidens Urge Siegfried to Return the Ring to the Rhine (Reworked by Joseph Swensen)
• Wagner: Götterdämmerung, WWV 86D, Act III

CD x 2

Muzyka klasyczna

Alpha

01-10-2024

3701624510728