Product Description

The world-class cast for Gotterdammerung is led by Siegfried Jerusalen as Siegfried Anne Evans as Brunnhilde Bodo Brinkmann as Gunther Philip Kang as Hagen Gunter von Kannen as Alberich Eva-Maria Bundschuh as Gutrune and Waltraud Meier as Waltraute.System Requirements:Run Time: 270 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: MUSIC DVD/CONCERTS Rating: NR UPC: 825646232123 Manufacturer No: 62321-2

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #53031 in DVD
• Brand: WEA DVD
• Released on: 2007-01-09
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Classical, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
• Original language: German
• Subtitled in: German, English, Spanish, Italian, French
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 270 minutes

Customer Reviews

Barenboim's Bayreuth Ring Cycle
Having seen numerous Ring Cycles, live and on video, this set of performances is really one of the best and most satisfying. The singers are superb. The recorded sound could be better, but no real quibbles. Tomlinson and Evans as Wotan and Brunnhilde are magnificent.

The ending is an insult to humanity and good taste. FOR SHAME!!!!!!!
Music is great-my favourite modern cycle. Now what in gods name does the end mean. And more than that-it distracts from one of the most glorious musical segments in history with an absurd and meaningless concept that really has no bearing on the rest of the opera(s). It really breaks all rules of good taste and shamefully disctracts the listener and viewer from what they should be feeling as Wagner concludes this epic. I am flabbergasted and appalled that such a crock of sh****T was allowed to ruin this otherwise wonderful production. I recommend the Die Walkure as the best part of this set.
The End--a group of people wheel out televisions and sip martinis while a blond boy and girl decide to hold hands.(In this ring--all walsungs have red hair so dont go there) It is even worse than what I have described because I am too upset to go on. FOR SHAME!!!!!!

matrix Wagner
I saw this on VHS complete many years ago, well when it first came out, and the production, the concept of Kupfer directly parallels what Herr Wagner wanted as well as Barenboim's large massive scale sound he prefers to Boulez's more chamber-like reading.Boulez also had faster tempi and Daniel. I am sure they both discussed it together. . . . What did Herr Wagner Want?, a scaled down stage, reduced to the elements, the natural elements of power, Wind, Light, Magic, Rocks, Maidens,Giants,Swords of Power, Wealth, Gold,each is a metaphor for contemporary globalized capitalism, if you know where to look.all the things necessary to rule the globe. Wagner knew long ago of the complexities, the dramatic traps in the stagecraft, stage productions, and He got tired of his deferring to his assistant with pen in hand (or plume then)taking copious notes while he was speaking during rehearsals. "Tell them not to move the Rhinemaidens so fast. . . " or "Alberich needs mores slim in his costume. . . ", and Wotan cannot sing in too far back on the platform. . . ",In this production, everyone seemed to miss the long vinyl leather coats here donned by Wotan and Brunhilde, with vinyl boots, shining provocatively and all. Hagen reminded me of Rob Snyder from "Saturday Night Live", he usually plays a good-for-nothing-mindless persona anyway, nothing amounts to much, self-centered and neurotic perfect for Alberich.The dragon was a nice touch as well, showing we know something of magic and the modernist canon; But then Alberich's ideology is what makes capitalism work well, so Herr Wagner seems to be telling us. So does Wotan, but Wotan needs a "reality check" at times, too much aristocratic baggage with too many of his "seeds" spread over the universe, but he is not one let a good deal, or a duplitous situation slip away from his staff,(the piece of wood) filled with past in default contracts un-honored for the most part.

The Rhinemaidens as well, here are not too slutty, nor intellectual, but more simply :water-children:Dippies ( Hippies who bath), AC/DC, slipping and sliding through the hydroelectric facility Kupfer provides, of large funnels, ducts and sewer pipes.We see them age when the gold is stolen and their longevity runs out. Likewise the rope of fate, where the Norns tell a tale, actually recapitualting the entire RING, so if you missed it, tune in to the First Act of Gotterdammurung. The gentle small white poles stringing this rope is wonderfully visual but from a distance.

The large continuous expanse of the stage the endless vast continuums of space is also a wonderful touch.Wagner's grandson Wieland in the early Fifties had a similar concept for the productions he mounted.Light LICHT, was the thing, Light gives the voice room to sing and develop. The RING (don't we know it) is about singing, and although Herr Wagner wanted to reach out his conceptual tentacles to a Gesamtkunstwerk, he hadn't the time, (nor the genius) to think through the concept's countless paradigms, while trying/claiming to serve all the Arts simultaneously, he served none of them, well, the music is powerful and glorious, and each part has a different orchestration so to give a kind of Timbral "signature" to the entire proceedings.Wagner thought of the Cinema but how much of this could have materialized. Ludwig of Bavaria was already spending too much of his Empire on this RING.
I prefer this Kupfer/Barenboim to the Boulez/Chereau, with all the finisse and detailed-oriented-ness of the French, it was not as provocative as this more larger strokes full-tilt one. Well TIME does that, we like something first then discard it, the FREE Market tells us this as well, consume, and this RING is well worth consuming.