I'm listening to Wagner's "Das Rheingold". Ask me anything.

[Aristus]

Sir Georg Solti conducting the Vienna Philharmonic.

Incredible.

[Skink]

1. Thinking of going to war with, oh I don't know Iran?

[Aristus]

2. No. Just listening to a great opera written by a rather unpleasant

individual.

Shivering with delighted goosebumps as Woglinde sings: "Nur werder minne macht entsacht......". Beautiful, dark tragic theme.

[RoBear]

3. Have you heard Anna Russell's explanation

of the RING cycle. LOL funny! Try to find it if you can...

[Aristus]

4. Yeah, years ago. Hilarious.

"...as the curtain comes up, we see the Rhinemaidens swimming and singing in the river......IN it." :-)

[RoBear]

6. My favorite line is when she's deep into

explanation--almost to the end even, maybe--and she says "I'm not making this up, you know!" Love it love it love it.

[TreasonousBastard]

8. "And Siegfried finally loves a woman...

he's not related to."

[HereSince1628]

5. Is the choice of Wagner political?

Wagner was shall we say a rightwing authoratarian

[Aristus]

7. No kidding. He was a racist bigot, womanizer, and bad borrower.

Calm down, people. I just like his music. It isn't opera for anti-Semites anymore than Mozart's is music for alcoholics, or Van Gogh is oil painting for suicidals.


edit: BTW, Wagner was a passionate supporter of the left-wing revolutions of 1848. He only became a devout monarchist when Ludwig II started paying the bills.

[CanuckAmok]

26. and since when did "womanizing" become a negative trait?

I mean, even the Pope must look.

[Az]

9. Gotten to Sigfried's Funeral Musicue yet?

That one always gets me.

[Aristus]

10. That's from "Twilight Of The Gods."

About fourteen hours into the future. I don't have it on CD, though. I do have orchestral cuts on CD, though. Including "Forest Murmers", a piece so beautiful it just makes you ache inside.

[Az]

15. My bad. I thought you were listening to the entire cycle.

[Aristus]

19. I don't normally have fifteen or sixteen hours at a stretch to

listen to it. Anyway, the second act of "Walkure" is soooo boring, I've seen sophisticated opera goers gnaw their own legs off and crawl out of the Opera House.

[fishnfla]

11. Is he related to DUer ewagner?

'cuz I like that guy, one of my favorite cheeseheads

[Aristus]

12. I should know?

:shrug: Why don't you PM him and ask?

[Aristus]

13. Okay, I'm listening to the descent into Nibelheim now.

Those anvils! All those anvils! So incredibly cool!

[Benhurst]

14. Yes, it is incredible. I bought the set when it first came out. I have

since purchased the CD version. I don't think Solti's Ring Cycle will ever be topped. At the very least, it will remain the standard against which other recordings are judged.

[Aristus]

18. That's a fact. I've got one other "Complete Ring Cycle".

It's a very poor recording of the 1951 Bayreuth cycle. I listened to it once, gritting my teeth the whole time. It's like it was recorded with a bamboo stylus on a cardboard toilet paper roll.

Ever hear that old BBC (I think) recording of an English translation of "Rheingold"? Man, was that AWFUL!

[brentspeak]

16. How many CDs is that?

It's like three days long, I think.

[Aristus]

17. No. Close, though. "Rheingold" is three CD's long.

I've been sitting here for two-and-a-half hours, and we're still in the middle of Scene III.

[Benhurst]

20. You're thinking of the whole Ring Cycle.

Das Rheingold is 3 CDs.
Siegrried is 4 Cds.
Die Walkure is 4 Cds.
Gotterdammerung is 4 CDs.

That's 15 CDs in all. When the complete Ring Cycle is performed, it takes 4 evenings.

[brentspeak]

21. Holy cow, must be tough on the musicians

But probably a lot of fun, too.

Does the quality of the composing sag/remain consistent over the course of the whole thing?

[Aristus]

24. Tough on the conductor too.

George Solti has said of conducting "Rheingold", since it is one long unbroken act, 'If the task is to be described in one word, the one word is "pacing".'

[CatWoman]

22. Have I told you lately that I love you?

:hi:

:D

[Aristus]

23. No, but thank you, Cat.

I simply adore you! :loveya:

[Aristus]

25. Kick

C'mon, people. I'm still interested in discussing.

:kick:

[derby378]

27. So, have Fafnir and the giants returned with their hostage yet? (n/t)

[MisterP]

28. not the bearing company, presumably