Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Prelude
2. Hort! Grafen, Edle, Freie Von Brabant!
3. Dank, Konig, Dir, DaB Du Zu Richten Kamst!
4. Welch Furchterliche Klage Sprichst Du Aus!
5. Seht Hin! Sie Naht, Die Hart Beklgte!
6. Einsam In Truben Tagen
7. Friedrich, Du Ehrenwerter Mann
8. Des Ritters Will Ich Wahren
9. Wer Hier Im Gotteskampf Zu Streiten Kam
10. Nun Sei Bedankt, Mein Lieber Schwan!
11. Heil, Konig Heinrich!
12. Wenn Ich Im Kampfe Fur Dich Siege
13. Nun Hort! Euch, Volk Und Edlen, Mach' Ich Kund
14. Nun Horet Mich Und Achtet Wohl
15. Mein Herr Und Gott, Nun Ruf' Ich Dich
16. Durch Gottes Sieg Ist Jetzt Dein Leben Mein
17. Introduction
18. Erhebe Dich, Genossin Meiner Schmach!

Disc 2:

1. Was Macht Dich In So Wilder Klage Doch Vergehn?
2. Du Wilde Seherin! Wie Willst Du Doch
3. Der Rache Werk Sie Nun Beschworen
4. Euch Luften, Die Mein Klagen
5. Elsa!...Wer Ruft?
6. Entweihte Gotter! Helft Jetzt Meiner Rache!
7. Ortrud, Wo Bist Du?
8. Du Armste Kannst Wohl Nie Ermessen
9. So Zieht Das Unheil In Dies Haus!
10. In Fruh'n Versammelt Uns Der Ruf
11. Des Konigs Wort Und Will' Tu' Ich Euch Kund
12. Nun Hort, Dem Lande Will Er Uns Entfuhren!
13. Gesegnet Soll Sie Schreiten
14. Zuruck, Elsa! Nicht Langer Will Ich Dulden
15. Heil! Heil Dem Konig!
16. O Konig! Trugbetorte Fursten!
17. Welch Ein Geheimnis MuB Der Held Bewahren?
18. Mein Held! Entgegne Kuhn Dem Ungetreuen!
19. In Deiner Hand, In Deiner Treu

Disc 3:

1. Prelude
2. Treulich Gefuhrt Ziehet Dahin
3. Das SuBe Lied Verhallt; Wir Sind Allein
4. Wie Hehr Erkenn' Ich Unsrer Liebe Wesen!
5. Atmest Du Nicht Mit Mir Die SuBen Dufte?
6. Ach! Konnt' Ich Deiner Wert Erscheinen
7. Hochstes Vertraun Hast Du Mir Schon Zu Danken
8. Hilf Gott, Was MuB Ich Horen!
9. Hortest Du Nichts?
10. Tragt Den Erschlagnen Vor Des Konigs Gericht!
11. Heil Konig Heinrich!
12. Was Bringen Die? Was Tun Sie Kund?
13. Mein Herr Und Konig, LaB Dir Melden
14. In Fernem Land
15. Mir Schwankt Der Boden!
16. O Bleib, Und Zieh Uns Nicht Von Dannen!
17. Mein Lieber Schwan!
18. Weh! Weh! Du Edler, Holder Mann!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13599 in Music
• Released on: 2000-09-04
• Number of discs: 3
• Format: Box set
• Dimensions: .78 pounds
• Running time: 217 minutes

Customer Reviews

Wonderful in every way
This performance of Lohengrin is just what the label says, ie. one of the "great recordings of the century". The conductor, Rudolf Kempe, strikes exactly the right balance between drama and spirituality, Jess Thomas is a breathtaking Lohengrin, Grümmer's Elsa is lovely in every way, Fischer-Dieskau is the definitive Telramund, and Ludwig's Ortrud is such a magnificent achievement that the record would be worth buying for her sake alone. The stereo sound is excellent, so there is no reason to hesitate-in fact, there is no point in getting another recording unless you already know this one.

An incandescent emotional experience
EMI have labelled this among their "great recordings of the century", and they may well be right. Rudolf Kempe leads an incandescent reading of the score, rising to the grander moments as easily as he reins in the orchestra for the moments of rapture and faith. Jess Thomas is unphased by the dangers of the title role, and sings with a welcome ease and poetry. Elisabeth Grummer is a radiant Elsa, the role model German Romantic soprano. Dietrich Fischer Dieskau and Christa Ludwig offer villains of depth - they are motivated to evil deeds, and sing with a tension that is tangible. He is clearly manipulated by Ludwig's scheming ambition, she exultant in her destruction. Gottlob Frick's King is darkly powerful, and Otto Wiener is more than competent as the Herald. The sound quality is largely fine, but it does peak at climaxes and Grummer is often badly served at moments of pressure.

THE REAL THING
This is a disc that displays its credentials as a 'Great Recording of the Century' in every bar. Getting on for nearly half a century old now, it still stands firm as by far the most recommendable version of the opera.

Certainly the singing cast is uniformly outstanding. The villains of the piece, Ortrud and Telramund, almost take over the show in the hands of Christa Ludwig and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. The opening scene of Act 2, with its dark foreshadowings of Wagner's later style, is compulsive here as the witch-like disciple of the 'old religion' probes and explores every chink and weakness in her husband's psyche while he struggles and frets to cling onto the last vestiges of his 'honour' like a fly caught in her spider's web. Ortrud's invocation of her gods in the solo which follows his departure is absolutely hair-raising. And the way in which she subverts and manipulates Elsa in the scene after that is just as psychologically and vocally fascinating as anything in The Ring. Great singing actors both.

The somewhat goody-goody hero and heroine will always find it hard to live with all that. The Devil always did get the best tunes. But Elisabeth Grummer is a near ideal Elsa. Only Janowitz on the Kubelik set runs her close. The voice is pure and silvery, but her vocal acting makes the character far from the simpleton Elsa can often seem. The Dream and Euch luften are both treasurable. Jess Thomas is not to everyone's taste but he characterises the Grail Knight wonderfully (as he always did in the theatre) and sings with consistently thoughtful and musical sense. The voice perhaps lacks that degree of Italianate bel canto that fits this part better than any other of Wagner's tenor heroes. For that you have to go back to the likes of de Lucia from the tail-end of the 19th Century or the Frenchman Georges Thill between the Wars. Gigli recorded some fascinating bits in his own inimitable style. Melchior was, I always think, a bit stentorian for the part. Among modern singers, only Domingo really essays this approach.

Frick is a rock-solid King Heinrich: Otto Wiener is luxury casting indeed as the Herald. The chorus from the Vienna Opera are magnificent, as is the Vienna Phil. But the greatest accolades should go to Rudolf Kempe, a Wagner conductor who would never tear a passion to tatters like a Solti nor indulge in an over-upholstered bed of sound like a Karajan. Here he has the full measure of Wagner's most 'operatic' opera, delivering perfect pacing, consistently long-breathed phrasing and great punch when it's called for.

These are discs that fully live up to their billing as one of the 'Great Recordings of the Century'.