Richard WAGNER (1813-1883)
Ring Without Words – A Symphonic Synthesis
(arr. Lorin Maazel, 1987) [72:20]
Staatskapelle Weimar/Hansjörg Albrecht
rec. live, 9 & 10 October 2016, Neue Weimarhalle, Weimar
Reviewed as a stereo 24/48 download from
eClassical
Pdf booklet included
OEHMS OC1872
[72:20]
There have been several attempts to turn Wagner’s tetralogy into an
extended orchestral piece, and I’ve reviewed two of them. First is the
Dutch composer-percussionist Henk de Vlieger’s
The Ring –
An Orchestral Adventure, as recorded by Neeme Järvi and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in
2007; second is Lorin Maazel’s arrangement,
The Ring Without Words – A Symphonic Synthesis
, which he recorded with the Berliner Philharmoniker in October 2000. The
latter is on Blu-ray/DVD, but those who want an audio version should
investigate Maazel’s 1987 recording with the same orchestra (Telarc
CD-80154).
There’s no doubt the RSNO is well up to the task in that de Vlieger
arrangement, but for a number of reasons I wasn’t convinced by the
performance as a whole. No such qualms about the Maazel video, though, which
was one of my top picks for 2011. The playing there is peerless, and the
conductor – so infuriating at times – is at his dramatic and propulsive
best; factor in rich, full-bodied sound and you have a truly unforgettable
experience. Most important, Maazel ensures the music hangs together, and
that really is the key to a successful performance of this arrangement.
The Staatskapelle Weimar is new to me, as is the conductor Hansjörg
Albrecht, perhaps best known as an organist and harpsichordist. He’s
described in the liner-notes as ‘a musical border crosser and a fearlessly
original thinker’; alas, the rest of the booklet is just as poorly
translated. Not a hanging offence, of course, but it’s annoying
nonetheless. I see Albrecht’s also transcribed Wagner overtures and
preludes for organ (Oehms OC690); he’s done the same with The Ring,
his recording of which failed to impress
Patrick Waller
when it first appeared in 2006.
Given Maazel’s authoritative performances Albrecht is attempting to beard
the lion in his den. Does he succeed? Emphatically, no. Starting with the
overture to Das Rheingold and ending with a woefully anticlimactic Götterdämmerung, it’s clear this orchestra has neither the body nor
the virtuosity for this music. Even allowing for the exigencies of a live
recording, the playing is pretty awful; discipline is poor, tuttis are
ragged and the brass is flatulent. And thanks to the dire recording – it’s
close, dry and devoid of all colour or detail – the strings and woodwinds
make little impact at all. Even more damning is Albrecht’s slack and
sluggish conducting, which destroys essential thrust and shape. Not only
that, the well-known bits – the ‘bleeding chunks’ – are clumsily done, the
sound rough and bright.
The difference between this and Maazel’s recordings could not be greater;
even if we were comparing this Weimar band with one from the boondocks –
let alone the Berliner Philharmoniker – they’d be right at the bottom of
the heap. Really, I can’t remember when I last heard a performance and
recording as abysmal as this.
You have been warned.
Dan Morgan
