Search - Richard [Classical] Wagner, Antal Dorati, Herbert von Karajan :: Twilight of the Gods: The Essential Wagner Collection

Bleeding Chunks

A. Tohline | Athens, OH | 07/26/2003

(2 out of 5 stars)

"What the Amazon.com reviewer said about "Wagner served in bleeding chunks" is absolutely right.Now let's "dissect" that comment, shall we? Suppose you wanted to buy COMPLETE versions of all the operas represented on this double-CD. It would cost a few hundred dollars, right? When faced with that argument, this CD, for those who only want the best, makes sense.However, suppose you decided to read Charles Dickens the same way? A couple chapters out of A Tale of Two Cities, maybe 3 from Oliver Twist, a half dozen each from Great Expectations and David Copperfield (sort of equivalent to Der Ring), and then a few pages ripped out of Bleak House. What would you have? Certainly great writing, but no context. The writing would prove unfulfilling and deeply lacking, certainly a disappointing choice.Well, this "Essential Wagner Collection" is even worse. Not only does it slice and dice story lines, but it often doesn't even give you entire scenes; artistic glory and achievement is tossed aside in favor of a sloppy fade-out. And this isn't the exception, it's the rule.Out of the 27 tracks on this double-CD, an egregious 19 are listed (covertly, and in teeny tiny letters) as "extract"s, often with unsettling fades and cuts on both ends. And of the recordings that aren't "extract"s, the highly-touted Ride of the Valkries just doesn't deliver (at least, not in Antal Dorati's sloppy reading of it), and the magnificent version of Siegfried's Funeral March is ruined by being chopped off in the worst of places.I really regret buying this CD. All in all, it adds up to a musical Frankenstein; made of the choicest parts, but hideous when stitched together in such a haphazard and disrespectful way."

Ugh-the WORST Wagner CD I can imagine.

patrickcassidy | Portland, Oregon USA | 11/01/2001

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Although these pieces are gathered from excellent recordings, the hideous ways in which they are truncated makes them very nearly worthless. This disc has works of 15 and 20 minutes original duration slashed to 7, 5, maybe even as little as 4 minute chunks. It might serve as an introduction to someone who has never heard Wagner before, but for anyone who already loves this music, it is appalling. I suppose I shouldn't have expected much from any Wagner CD with a picture of helicopters on the cover. Wagner is wonderful, but there are MANY better choices than this most UN-essential collection."

"Bleeding chunks" and "essential collection" reconciled

Susan Godley | Temple, TX USA | 10/27/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I see the point of view from both previous reviewers. 1. First off, I understand how to a Wagner "fan" or "lover," theres something missing here. I experienced this with John William's music - I loved the star wars and et music, and when I got a two cd "essential collection" of JW, I was disappointed by the cuts/artificial reverb/changed tempos etc... in the tracks that I knew well. However, the tracks I didn't know well sounded fine, until I got the real soundtrack - i.e. Schindler's list - the tempo waaay to fast etc...2. Secondly, I'm no wagner critic/fan, so I have a different perscpective on him. I love this "essential collection" set, and think that some of the pieces are incredibly moving. I cannot distinguish where the piece has been chopped up, etc... So, I guess for someone not that aquainted with Wagner, this is a perfect set. But for someone that has listened to whole operas from Wagner, this is probably like going back from some the entire "Empire Strikes Back" album to a weird recording of the imperial march...In conclusion, I would highly recommend this album to someone interested in Wagner, but for someone that already knows him well, this is by no means an "essential collection.""