Der Ring des Nibelungen

Presumably it was the proliferation of new DVD and Blu-ray versions of Wagner's enormous Ring cycle—good, bad, and indifferent—that induced Kultur to reissue Harry Kupfer's classic 1991–92 Bayreuth productions, although whatever the reason, this comes very close to sweeping the field. Granted, the staging is minimalist, with stylized sets, props, and costumes sporting modern touches that occasionally generate a smile, while some of the effects—such as the laser-light show that depicts the underwater locale at the beginning of Das Rheingold—no longer look very spectacular compared to those in more recent versions, like the 2007 mounting in Valencia (VL-5/10). But musically this is an outstanding reading, as the Festival Orchestra plays with amazing power and refinement under conductor Daniel Barenboim, and the singers are uniformly strong, with John Tomlinson's Wotan, Siegfried Jerusalem's Siegfried, Günter von Kannen's Alberich, Graham Clark's Loge and Mime, Poul Elming's Siegmund, Nadine Secunde's Sieglinde, and Anne Evans's Brünnhilde standing out among a sterling cast. Although the resonant acoustics of the Bayreuth Festspielhaus occasionally lead to a bit of muddiness, the engineers have used encoding technology to get the best from the original masters, and the result—presented with DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, and LPCM stereo options—is impressive. The combination of a masterful performance, excellent restoration, and low price makes this a genuine bargain that wears its age lightly. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)