Wagner: Die Walküre, Act 3

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CD - Remastered

  • Release Date: 03/06/2007
  • Original Release: 1993
  • Sales Rank: 82,945
  • Label: EMI CLASSICS
  • UPC: 094638002222

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Track List
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Wagner: Die Walküre, Act 3

1LISTENDie Walküre (The Valkyrie / Richard Wagner
2LISTENDie Walküre (The Valkyrie / Richard Wagner
3LISTENDie Walküre (The Valkyrie / Richard Wagner
4LISTENDie Walküre (The Valkyrie / Richard Wagner
5LISTENDie Walküre (The Valkyrie / Richard Wagner
6LISTENDie Walküre (The Valkyrie / Richard Wagner
7LISTENDie Walküre (The Valkyrie / Richard Wagner
8LISTENDie Walküre (The Valkyrie / Richard Wagner
9LISTENDie Walküre (The Valkyrie / Richard Wagner
10LISTENDie Walküre (The Valkyrie / Richard Wagner
11LISTENDie Walküre (The Valkyrie / Richard Wagner
12LISTENDie Walküre (The Valkyrie / Richard Wagner

Editorial Reviews

For the first postwar Bayreuth Festival in 1951, the Wagner family presented two complete -- and two completely different -- performances of "Der Rings des Nibelungen" -- one by old-hand Hans Knappertsbusch, he of the lush textures and the flowing tempos, and the other by new boy Herbert von Karajan, he of the strong, sinewy line. While both Knappertsbusch's "Parsifal" and Karajan's "Meistersinger" from that festival were recorded and released, only Karajan's Act III of "Die Walküre" was recorded and released -- and re-released -- and re-re-released -- and re-re-re-released. As presented here in EMI's Great Recordings of the Century series, Karajan's performance proves yet again to be among the most electrifying ever recorded. Through the fiery playing of the Festival Orchestra, Karajan creates a supple line that cuts sonorities, bends bar lines, and expresses every nuance of aesthetic meaning in the score. And riding magnificently above the orchestra are Karajan's first-rate cast: Sigurd Björling as powerful yet tender Wotan, Leonie Rysanek as wild yet moving Sieglinda, and, in her festival debut, Astrid Varnay as formidable yet melting Brünnhilde. The recording is technically limited but does give an honest representation of the sound inside the Festspielhaus. Although anyone looking for a first recording of Act III of "Die Walküre" might wish to try a later recording of the complete opera, anyone deeply dedicated to Wagner who hasn't already heard this recording will surely want to check it out. James Leonard, All Music Guide

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Original recording remasteredby Beirut768

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October 31, 2008: This disk was first recorded on 12th August 1951 in the Festspiehaus - Bayreuth.

"" Quite apart from its intrinsic merits, this recording has a claim to honorable mention in at least three places in the history books. The history of recoded sound distinguishes it as the first live recording of a complete Act of The Ring. In the story of Bayreuth it has a special place as representing something of the first Ring produced there after the Second World War. In the career of Herbert von Karajan it finds him in his first season at Bayreuth and on the threshold of the international success which accorded him such an exalted place in the musical world of his time"" Thus wrote John B. Steane in part of his 1993 introduction to this recording.

Die Walküre is the second of the four operas that constitute Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung), composed by Richard Wagner. Niberlung is a companion or follower of Siegfried - a German mythology speaking of the race of dwarfs who possessed a treasure hoard that was stolen by Siegfried.

As much as I could gather, Die Walküre (The Valkyrie) is Norse saga telling the adventures of any of the beautiful maidens attendant upon the supreme god Odin who bring the souls of slain warriors chosen by Odin or Tyr - son of Odin - to Valhalla and there wait upon them.
{{Valhalla is the hall in which the souls of those heroes were received by Odin. Norse is a native or inhabitant of Norway}}

Wagner premiered this opera on June 26, 1870 at the National Theatre in Munich.

Act 3: Prelude music, Brunnhilde's pleading (War es so schmählich), Wotan's Farewell (Leb' wohl, and Magic Fire Music.

The other Valkyries (minor female deities, who served Odin) gather on the height of a mountain, each with a dead hero put in her large bag. They are astounded when Brünnhilde arrives with a woman still alive. She implores them to help her, but they dare not confront Wotan. Brünnhilde decides to delay Wotan as Sieglinde runs away. She also reveals that Sieglinde is pregnant by Sigmund, and names the unborn son Siegfried (meaning "joyous in victory" or "peace in victory").

Wotan arrives in anger and passes judgment on Brünnhilde: she is to be deprived of her Valkyrie position and become mortal, to be prevailed in a magic sleep on the mountain, assaulted by any man who passes by.

Horrified, the other Valkyries flee. Brünnhilde begs mercy of Wotan for herself and for his favorite child. She recites the courage of Sigmund and declaresher decision to defend him, knowing that was Wotan's true desire.

With the words 'Der diese Liebe mir in's Herz gehaucht' (He who breathed this love into me), she identifies her own actions as Wotan's true will. Wotan accepts her last request: to fill the mountaintop with magic circle of flame, which will dissuade all but the most courageous of heroes who, shown through the leitmotif (typical of Wagner's operas), they both know will be the yet unborn Siegfried.

Wotan lays Brünnhilde down on a rock and, in a hug, kisses her eyes closed into a captivated sleep. He calls in Loge (the Norse demigod of fire) to ignite the circle of flame that will protect her, then slowly leaves in sorrow, after pronouncing: "Whosoever fears the point of my spear shall not pass through the fire."