Lohengrin & Tannhauser

[Dave]

I'm trying to put together a collection of Karajan's Wagner recordings. I have his Ring Cycle and Parsifal (which are brilliant), but I was pondering branching out into some of the others. I believe that if you combine the DG and EMI catalogues, you can get everything.

However, I have heard differing things on the recordings of Tannhauser and Lohengrin. I gather that the DG Tannhauser is a live recording, and is in mono sound. The problem is, I really don't like mono sound that much, and I'm not sure how well the whole 'Karajan sound' fits it anyway. So any advice from someone who has that recording would be great.

Similarly, I have read that Karajan's Lohengrin on EMI is perhaps the most exciting, and the best played and sung on record. And I'm a massive fan of all things Jon Vickers, so the fact that he's in it only sweetens the deal. However, I have heard rumours of an awful audio balance, with thin and muted brass, overbearing strings and very quiet woodwind. Again, if anyone has this recording I'd appriciate some input.

The thing is, I love the Karajan sound. However, the Karajan sound recorded badly is still a bad recording, and I wouldn't want to end up with something that should have sounded great, but doesn't.

Thanks.

[john]

Dave

In my opinion the Tannhauser is poor sound it has historical value only.

The Lohengrin however is a different matter, the sound is rich and lush, the interpretation is moving and the climaxes are electrifying.
You may have noticed that this is at the top of my top 10 desert island discs (see Rosy's post).
However you may be dissapointed to hear that it is Rene Kollo and not Jon Vickers on the EMI recording.

Jon Vickers is of course brilliant but I feel that Kollo is Lohengrin.

John

[Dave]

John, thanks for that information. It's a shame the Tannhauser has poor sound, because Karajan's concert performaces of the overture are stunning; I would imagine a proper recording would be the same.

Kollo is brilliant, so that's not a problem. And it seems I got mixed up with Tristan and Isolde; that has Vickers. Cheers for your comments - I might see if I can pick it up for a decent sum somewhere.

[lee]

Hi Dave

Just a few words to say that I heartily concur with John - indeed both he and I, as well as John Hunt (author of the conductor's discography and concert register), rate the Lohengrin as one of our most favourite Karajan recordings. That said, the recording isn't state of the art - peculiarly to many of Karajan EMI Wagner recordings, some sound better on certain set ups than others - that said, it is not as catastrophic as has been suggested by some (for example on Amazon) and if you enjoy Karajan's conducting, this is a mandatory purchase anyway - the end of Act I will just blow you away !!

Tannhauser is somewhat more problematic - personally I find my ear soon adjusts to mono sound (and yours must too, for it is imperative that you hear that marvellous quasi-Wagnerian masterpeice Hansel und Gretel in the 1954 mono Karajan recording with the Philharmonia orchestra, the performance still regarded as the benchmark recording even some 50 years later). I find that this live Tannhauser from the Vienna State Opera to be a very fine performance, which transcends the limitations of the recording. The problem is, however, that there is no out and out modern recording alternative - indeed if pushed for the finest, I would have to nominate the live Cluytens recording from Bayreuth in 1956, again in mono sound. For sound alone, I suppose the Solti recording takes the palm, but.......

Anyway, happy listening. I hope that you source a decently priced Lohengrin and would suggest that you beg, steal or borrow the Karajan recording of Humperdink's Hansel und Gretel (the EMI Great Recordings of the Century is the transfer to get) - you won't be disappointed !

Best regards, Lee

[Dave]

Thanks, Lee. I'll see if I can nab the Lohengrin cheap somewhere, and perhaps rent Tannhauser from the library system; if you look hard enough you can find most things somewhere. And I'll check out H&G too. I'm not entirely averse to mono sound; I have Karajan's Mozart Horn Concertos with Dennis Brain, and that's on mono. It just depends on how good the mono is. That EMI Great Recordings label seems to spiffy them up good.