---
product_id: 8900906
title: "Richard Wagner - Great Recordings"
price: "338 kr"
currency: NOK
in_stock: false
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.no/products/8900906-richard-wagner-great-recordings
store_origin: NO
region: Norway
---

# Richard Wagner - Great Recordings

**Price:** 338 kr
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- **What is this?** Richard Wagner - Great Recordings
- **How much does it cost?** 338 kr with free shipping
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- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.no](https://www.desertcart.no/products/8900906-richard-wagner-great-recordings)

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## Description

In celebration of the 200th Anniversary of Richard Wagner's birth, Sony Classical is proud to present Richard Wagner Great Recordings. This new 40-CD box set includes complete operas and opera recitals along with orchestral works and piano transcriptions. Legendary artist featured in the set include Lauren Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Leonard Bernstein, Herbert von Karajan, Marek Janowski, Kirsten Flagstad, Lauritz Melchior, Helen Traubel and others, along with such world-renowned orchestras as the New York and Berlin Philharmonic. The CDs are packaged in mini-jackets featuring original album artwork and includes an 84-page booklet with complete tracklistings.

Review: Great value if not necessarily all 'great' recordings - To best describe the contents of this collection, presently being offered at ridiculously low price here on desertcart (but that is not likely to last forever), here are the recordings included as well as links to those individual releases here on desertcart, so that anyone interested in this box set can look at the contents in detail and see how they have been individually reviewed: ● Discs 1-2: Der Fliegende Holländer : James Levine conducting the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus; James Morris, Deborah Voigt, Ben Heppner, Jan-Hendrik Rootering, Paul Groves, Brigitta Svendén. Recorded April 28-29 and May 3-7, 1994, at Manhattan Center, New York City. ● Discs 3-5: Lohengrin : Erich Leinsdorf conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra; Sándor Kónya, Lucine Amara, Rita Gorr, William Dooley, Jerome Hines, Calvin Marsh. Recorded August 23-28, 1965, at Symphony Hall, Boston. ● Discs 6-9: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg : Joseph Keilberth conducting the Bayerisches Staatsorchester and Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper; Otto Wiener, Jess Thomas, Claire Watson, Hans Hotter, Benno Kusche, Lilan Bennigsen, Friedrich Lenz,, Josef Metternich. Recorded November 23, 1963, 'first performance in the rebuilt Nationaltheater, Munich'. ● Discs 10-11: Das Rheingold : Marek Janowski conducting the Staatskapelle Dresden; Theo Adam, Siegmund Nimsgern, Peter Schreier, Matti Salminen, Christian Vogel, Eberhard Büchner, Karl-Heinz Stryczek, Roland Bracht, Yvonne Minton, Lucia Popp, Uta Priew, Hanna Schwarz, Ortrun Wenkel. Recorded December 8-11, 1980, Lukaskirche, Dresden. ● Discs 12-15: Die Walküre: Marek Janowski conducting the Staatskapelle Dresden; Jeannine Altmeyer, Yvonne Minton, Jessye Norman, Siegfried Jerusalem, Christel Borchers, Eva-Maria Bundschuh, Ruth Falcon, Anne Gjevang, Kathleen Kuhlmann, Uta Priew, Cheryl Studer, Ortrun Wenkel. Recorded August 22-29, 1981, Lukaskirche, Dresden. ● Discs 16-19: Siegfried: Marek Janowski conducting the Staatskapelle Dresden; René Kollo, Peter Schreier, Theo Adam, Siegmund Nimsgern, Matti Salminen, Ortrun Wenkel, Jeannine Altmeyer, Norma Sharp. Recorded February and March, 1982, Lukaskirche, Dresden. ● Discs 20-23: Götterdämmerung: Marek Janowski conducting the Staatskapelle Dresden; Jeannine Altmeyer, Norma Sharp, Ortrun Wenkel, René Kollo, Matti Salminen, Hand Günter Nöcker, Siegmund Nimsgern, Lucia Popp, Uta Priew, Hanna Schwarz, Anne Gjevang, Daphne Evangelatos, Ruth Falcon. Recorded January, March & April, 1983, Lukaskirche, Dresden. NOTE that the above recordings with Marek Janowski conducting the Staatskapelle Dresden are now released as a package by Sony: Der Ring Des Nibelungen ● Discs 24-27: Parsifal : Herbert von Karajan conducting the Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper; Fritz Uhl, Elisabeth Höngen, Christa Ludwig, Walter Berry, Hans Hotter, Eberhard Waechter, Tugomir Franc. Recorded by Austrian Radio (ORF) April 1, 1961. Restored from a private radio recording. ● Disc 28: Die Walküre: Act One : Zubin Mehta conducting the New York Philharmonic; Eva Marton, Peter Hofmann, Martti Talvela. Recorded January 31 through February 5, 1985, during live performances at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City. ● Disc 29: Peter Hofmann Sings Wagner Arias : Ivan Fischer conducting the Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart; Peter Hofmann, tenor (recording date & venue not given). ● Disc 30: Gösta Winbergh Sings Wagner : Siegfried Köhler conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Swedish Opera; Gösta Winbergh, tenor. Recorded September 19-22, 1995, at Culture Center, Ytterjärna, Sweden. ● Disc 31: Kirsten Flagstad: Wagner Arias and Duets with Melchior : Kirsten Flagstad, soprano; Lauritz Melchior, tenor. Recorded at various dates between 1935 and 1940, venues not given. ● Discs 32-33: Helen Traubel & Lauritz Melchior Sing Wagner : Helen Traubel, soprano; Lauritz Melchior, tenor. Recorded at various dates between 1942 and 1945, venues in New York City and Buenos Aires. ● Disc 34: [[ASIN:B003YT0RVQ Eileen Farrell/Wagner]: Eileen Farrell, soprano, sings Wagner excerpts. Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic. Recorded between 1961 and 1967, venues in New York City. ● Disc 35: Waltraud Meier Sings Wagner : Waltraud Meier, mezzo-soprano; Lorin Maazel conducting the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. Recorded December 1996 - January 1997, at Studio 1 of the Bavarian Radio, Munich. ● Disc 36: Orchestral Highlights from Wagner's Ring : Orchestral Highlights from the Ring: George Szell conducting the Cleveland Orchestra. Recorded October 1968 at Severance Hall, Cleveland. ● Disc 37: Orchestral Highlights, Stokowski : Orchestral Highlights: Leopold Stokowski conducting the Symphony of the Air, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Recorded 1960-61, and 1973, New York City and London. ● Disc 38: Lorin Maazel Conducts Wagner : Orchestral Highlights: Lorin Maazel conducts the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Recorded September 13-14, 1999 at Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berlin-Dahlem. ● Disc 39: [[ASIN:B0013AYXAO Tannhäuser Without Words]: Lorin Maazel conducts the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Mendelssohn Choir. Recorded December 1990 at Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh. ● Disc 40: Wagner: Piano Transcriptions for Four Hands : Yaara Tal and Andreas Groethuysen. Recorded May 1997 at Reitstadel, Neumarkt in der Operfalz. Since desertcart allows only a maximum of 10 links to be included in any review, I've added a comment below to provide the links that I've not been able to incorporate here. As per normal for a bargain collection of this type, no libretto or other descriptive information is included. The booklet contains only a listing of performers for each piece, and date and venue for the performance along with the original cover art shown. The box is a heavy cardboard container, and each disc sleeve is also cardboard with original cover art on the front and track listing on the rear of the cover. It's actually a very nice package and well done, especially for the price. At the current bargain pricing, this is surely worth picking up for anyone interested in Wagner and/or these particular performances or artists. As time goes by and the pricing fluctuates, the desirability of this box set will vary. Referring to the links above will help facilitate a decision regarding whether or not the investment might be worthwhile.
Review: An Appealing Wagnerian Starter Set--but price matters! - I bought this set in December 2014, when the price was an amazingly low $15.79 for 40 CDs. At that price-level, the cost seemed a no-brainer. Now, at $62.90, I'm not so sure. What makes this an excellent starter set, IMHO, is the Janowski Ring, combined with the various solo and duet albums by leading artists, and the orchestral selections by Szell and Stokowski. I have been listening to classical music for about 40 years, but I've never quite come to terms with Wagner, and in particular with the Ring. To me it seems awfully LONG, and there's so much TALK separating the exciting set pieces. The Janowski Ring helps a lot for a listener like me. The digital sound helps one hear the orchestra clearly, the tempos are brisk, and the voices in general are strong, fresh, and easy to hear clearly. The effect is very bracing and one often feels on the edge of one's seat, even in the talky bits. Meanwhile, the "extras" with solo albums by the greats of the past like Melchior, Flagstad and Farrell, and by more recent and talented singers such as Hofmann and Meier provide further points of entry. And for those who are really starting to get their feet wet, the orchestral excerpts by Szell, Stoky, and Maazel can offer appealing bridges into the larger works. Meanwhile, more veteran collecters could fill in some gaps in their collections at very low cost. So, at the $15.79 I paid for it, I would give this set five stars. BUT what about at its present price of $63? At that price, I'd knock my review down to 4 stars and recommend considering other alternatives. It seems to me that the core attraction is Janowski's Ring--worth that $15.79 all by itself. But desertcart is now selling that Ring in a deluxe edition for Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen . This deluxe set, with what one reviewer describes as "posh packaging," sells from desertcart for $27.77 and new from third parties for as little as $17. The packaging in the "Great Recordings" issue is adequate, but quite bare bones. So if the chief appeal for you is the Janowski Ring, then it might be a good idea to go for the stand-alone Janowski. Maybe you can then pick up the extras on an as-needed basis. Anyway, it's your call, but--as Phil in his excellent review points out-- it does go to show that price matters.

## Images

![Richard Wagner - Great Recordings - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81aC-dM1JpL.jpg)
![Richard Wagner - Great Recordings - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71umkHQTJrL.jpg)
![Richard Wagner - Great Recordings - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71sgLPM9i-L.jpg)
![Richard Wagner - Great Recordings - Image 4](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81w1EmfzjNL.jpg)
![Richard Wagner - Great Recordings - Image 5](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81sgwKsq3TL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great value if not necessarily all 'great' recordings
*by P***A on October 24, 2014*

To best describe the contents of this collection, presently being offered at ridiculously low price here on Amazon (but that is not likely to last forever), here are the recordings included as well as links to those individual releases here on Amazon, so that anyone interested in this box set can look at the contents in detail and see how they have been individually reviewed: ● Discs 1-2: Der Fliegende Holländer : James Levine conducting the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus; James Morris, Deborah Voigt, Ben Heppner, Jan-Hendrik Rootering, Paul Groves, Brigitta Svendén. Recorded April 28-29 and May 3-7, 1994, at Manhattan Center, New York City. ● Discs 3-5: Lohengrin : Erich Leinsdorf conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra; Sándor Kónya, Lucine Amara, Rita Gorr, William Dooley, Jerome Hines, Calvin Marsh. Recorded August 23-28, 1965, at Symphony Hall, Boston. ● Discs 6-9: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg : Joseph Keilberth conducting the Bayerisches Staatsorchester and Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper; Otto Wiener, Jess Thomas, Claire Watson, Hans Hotter, Benno Kusche, Lilan Bennigsen, Friedrich Lenz,, Josef Metternich. Recorded November 23, 1963, 'first performance in the rebuilt Nationaltheater, Munich'. ● Discs 10-11: Das Rheingold : Marek Janowski conducting the Staatskapelle Dresden; Theo Adam, Siegmund Nimsgern, Peter Schreier, Matti Salminen, Christian Vogel, Eberhard Büchner, Karl-Heinz Stryczek, Roland Bracht, Yvonne Minton, Lucia Popp, Uta Priew, Hanna Schwarz, Ortrun Wenkel. Recorded December 8-11, 1980, Lukaskirche, Dresden. ● Discs 12-15: Die Walküre: Marek Janowski conducting the Staatskapelle Dresden; Jeannine Altmeyer, Yvonne Minton, Jessye Norman, Siegfried Jerusalem, Christel Borchers, Eva-Maria Bundschuh, Ruth Falcon, Anne Gjevang, Kathleen Kuhlmann, Uta Priew, Cheryl Studer, Ortrun Wenkel. Recorded August 22-29, 1981, Lukaskirche, Dresden. ● Discs 16-19: Siegfried: Marek Janowski conducting the Staatskapelle Dresden; René Kollo, Peter Schreier, Theo Adam, Siegmund Nimsgern, Matti Salminen, Ortrun Wenkel, Jeannine Altmeyer, Norma Sharp. Recorded February and March, 1982, Lukaskirche, Dresden. ● Discs 20-23: Götterdämmerung: Marek Janowski conducting the Staatskapelle Dresden; Jeannine Altmeyer, Norma Sharp, Ortrun Wenkel, René Kollo, Matti Salminen, Hand Günter Nöcker, Siegmund Nimsgern, Lucia Popp, Uta Priew, Hanna Schwarz, Anne Gjevang, Daphne Evangelatos, Ruth Falcon. Recorded January, March & April, 1983, Lukaskirche, Dresden. NOTE that the above recordings with Marek Janowski conducting the Staatskapelle Dresden are now released as a package by Sony: Der Ring Des Nibelungen ● Discs 24-27: Parsifal : Herbert von Karajan conducting the Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper; Fritz Uhl, Elisabeth Höngen, Christa Ludwig, Walter Berry, Hans Hotter, Eberhard Waechter, Tugomir Franc. Recorded by Austrian Radio (ORF) April 1, 1961. Restored from a private radio recording. ● Disc 28: Die Walküre: Act One : Zubin Mehta conducting the New York Philharmonic; Eva Marton, Peter Hofmann, Martti Talvela. Recorded January 31 through February 5, 1985, during live performances at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City. ● Disc 29: Peter Hofmann Sings Wagner Arias : Ivan Fischer conducting the Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart; Peter Hofmann, tenor (recording date & venue not given). ● Disc 30: Gösta Winbergh Sings Wagner : Siegfried Köhler conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Swedish Opera; Gösta Winbergh, tenor. Recorded September 19-22, 1995, at Culture Center, Ytterjärna, Sweden. ● Disc 31: Kirsten Flagstad: Wagner Arias and Duets with Melchior : Kirsten Flagstad, soprano; Lauritz Melchior, tenor. Recorded at various dates between 1935 and 1940, venues not given. ● Discs 32-33: Helen Traubel & Lauritz Melchior Sing Wagner : Helen Traubel, soprano; Lauritz Melchior, tenor. Recorded at various dates between 1942 and 1945, venues in New York City and Buenos Aires. ● Disc 34: [[ASIN:B003YT0RVQ Eileen Farrell/Wagner]: Eileen Farrell, soprano, sings Wagner excerpts. Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic. Recorded between 1961 and 1967, venues in New York City. ● Disc 35: Waltraud Meier Sings Wagner : Waltraud Meier, mezzo-soprano; Lorin Maazel conducting the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. Recorded December 1996 - January 1997, at Studio 1 of the Bavarian Radio, Munich. ● Disc 36: Orchestral Highlights from Wagner's Ring : Orchestral Highlights from the Ring: George Szell conducting the Cleveland Orchestra. Recorded October 1968 at Severance Hall, Cleveland. ● Disc 37: Orchestral Highlights, Stokowski : Orchestral Highlights: Leopold Stokowski conducting the Symphony of the Air, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Recorded 1960-61, and 1973, New York City and London. ● Disc 38: Lorin Maazel Conducts Wagner : Orchestral Highlights: Lorin Maazel conducts the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Recorded September 13-14, 1999 at Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berlin-Dahlem. ● Disc 39: [[ASIN:B0013AYXAO Tannhäuser Without Words]: Lorin Maazel conducts the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Mendelssohn Choir. Recorded December 1990 at Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh. ● Disc 40: Wagner: Piano Transcriptions for Four Hands : Yaara Tal and Andreas Groethuysen. Recorded May 1997 at Reitstadel, Neumarkt in der Operfalz. Since Amazon allows only a maximum of 10 links to be included in any review, I've added a comment below to provide the links that I've not been able to incorporate here. As per normal for a bargain collection of this type, no libretto or other descriptive information is included. The booklet contains only a listing of performers for each piece, and date and venue for the performance along with the original cover art shown. The box is a heavy cardboard container, and each disc sleeve is also cardboard with original cover art on the front and track listing on the rear of the cover. It's actually a very nice package and well done, especially for the price. At the current bargain pricing, this is surely worth picking up for anyone interested in Wagner and/or these particular performances or artists. As time goes by and the pricing fluctuates, the desirability of this box set will vary. Referring to the links above will help facilitate a decision regarding whether or not the investment might be worthwhile.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An Appealing Wagnerian Starter Set--but price matters!
*by U***R on August 17, 2015*

I bought this set in December 2014, when the price was an amazingly low $15.79 for 40 CDs. At that price-level, the cost seemed a no-brainer. Now, at $62.90, I'm not so sure. What makes this an excellent starter set, IMHO, is the Janowski Ring, combined with the various solo and duet albums by leading artists, and the orchestral selections by Szell and Stokowski. I have been listening to classical music for about 40 years, but I've never quite come to terms with Wagner, and in particular with the Ring. To me it seems awfully LONG, and there's so much TALK separating the exciting set pieces. The Janowski Ring helps a lot for a listener like me. The digital sound helps one hear the orchestra clearly, the tempos are brisk, and the voices in general are strong, fresh, and easy to hear clearly. The effect is very bracing and one often feels on the edge of one's seat, even in the talky bits. Meanwhile, the "extras" with solo albums by the greats of the past like Melchior, Flagstad and Farrell, and by more recent and talented singers such as Hofmann and Meier provide further points of entry. And for those who are really starting to get their feet wet, the orchestral excerpts by Szell, Stoky, and Maazel can offer appealing bridges into the larger works. Meanwhile, more veteran collecters could fill in some gaps in their collections at very low cost. So, at the $15.79 I paid for it, I would give this set five stars. BUT what about at its present price of $63? At that price, I'd knock my review down to 4 stars and recommend considering other alternatives. It seems to me that the core attraction is Janowski's Ring--worth that $15.79 all by itself. But amazon is now selling that Ring in a deluxe edition for Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen . This deluxe set, with what one reviewer describes as "posh packaging," sells from Amazon for $27.77 and new from third parties for as little as $17. The packaging in the "Great Recordings" issue is adequate, but quite bare bones. So if the chief appeal for you is the Janowski Ring, then it might be a good idea to go for the stand-alone Janowski. Maybe you can then pick up the extras on an as-needed basis. Anyway, it's your call, but--as Phil in his excellent review points out-- it does go to show that price matters.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Solidly Four Stars
*by W***. on December 18, 2014*

I ignored the fussing, nit-picking, and sniffy-ness and looked at earlier reviews of the original sets. Much more positive. I even checked out Amazon Germany reviews, which were generally far more favorable to, say, the Levine Dutchman and other items included in this collection. The Ring is very good indeed, and (now that I ignored all the experts and own this box) I'm enjoying the Meistersinger. The Leinsdorf Lohengrin is breathtakingly beautiful. There is so much that is enjoyable in this (at the moment) $15 collection that I'm instead wondering about the state of amateur opera criticism in the USA, such as it is. Overall, there's nothing seriously wrong with this set, and at fifteen dollars there is less than nothing seriously wrong with it. This is an amazing offer and a great gift. But, as more budget collections appear, I am noticing an obliviousness to context by some of these reviewers. Sure, I can get into the *Which is the greatest RING?* debate and I've made significant purchases with the goal of finding that perfect Ring. But I have enough sense of proportion to know that applying that sort of fussiness to something like this collection would be like have a top neurosurgeon teach a Red Cross first aid certification course. Is this a good Ring for someone who is NOT a fanatic? Absolutely. I'm a fanatic and I'm enjoying it. Is the Flying Dutchman slow? Sure it is, but I find that intriguing and I noted that all the German reviewers thought the reading was powerful and the cast superb. I'm big enough to say, hey, maybe I should give this one a chance; I've been wrong before about first impressions. This is quite a deal. I'm very glad I bought it. If you have a friend or relative or young person who likes classical vocal and who is not a hyper-critical uber-connoisseur they'll be flabbergasted when you hand them this "brick" for Christmas. It might be the only time they'll get a chance to hear, on their own terms, a full Ring or a Meistersinger. It might keep them busily involved with music for a while. I hope to see more collections like this--a Richard Strauss 40CD opera set out of the Sony/RCA/Eurodisc catalogs, at this absurd price-point, would be a joy,

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