Favorite Wagner Opera?

Parsifal

I've loved Lohengrin for decades after playing the Lucien Cailliet concert band arrangement of Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral from Act II in high school. A big trombone section will melt faces off with that coda he added.

The Ring Cycle is incredible though, especially Die Walküre & Götterdämmerung. I love Winterstürme and the powerful climaxes at the end of DW. The forge songs and woodwinds in the forest are great from Sieg. And I love the powerful love duet during the Prologue of Gott; plus the overall "Begrüsse froh..." section when Sieg arrives at the House of the Gibichungs is just so melodic and gorgeous. Of course the funeral music and immolation scenes are glorious. The legendary Solti/Decca is my imprint.

Tannhäuser may be the most perfect Overture ever written though, even though I love the Lohengrin prologue.

Tannhauser for The Pilgrim's Chorus alone

Kill da wabbit.

I always find Rheingold the most dramatic, maybe because it's the shortest, but also because so much happens in it. It's completely nuts, of course. But I always remember when I first saw it and I cried when Wotan finally gave way and gave the giants the ring in order to release Freia.

Das Rheingold opens with that E-flat major chord, goes right into the Rhine maidens singing their little tune, and manages to hold your attention all the way to the end when they take the rainbow bridge to Valhalla. Then you realize you have three more operas in the damn cycle to go. But seriously, such good music...

I’m reminded of seeing the film Meeting Venus some 30 years ago. An opera company is trying to mount Tannhäuser, and everyone’s ego and stupidity get in the way. I remember thinking this is some of the most noble music ever written and everyone is running around like an idiot.

R7 such a fun movie! It is streaming on Kanopy if you have a library card.

My cat is named Cosima after his wife. Yes, she is a racist.

Has any of you cultured whores been to Bayreuth? I’d love to go.

CLASSIC DL thread...

I like the one that makes me want to invade Poland

From Wagner and Tristan und Isolde, straight to Brenda Dickson and Gelsons.