Frankfurter Opern und Museumsorchester, Sebastian Weigle - Wagner: Siegfried (2012)

Tracklist

CD1
01. Siegfried: Act I: Vorspiel
02. Siegfried: Act I Scene 1: Zwangvolle Plage! Muh' ohne Zweck! (Mime)
03. Siegfried: Act I Scene 1: Hoiho! Hoiho! Hau' ein! Hau' ein! (Siegfried, Mime)
04. Siegfried: Act I Scene 1: Das ist nun der Liebe schlimmer Lohn! (Mime)
05. Siegfried: Act I Scene 1: Vieles lehrtest du, Mime (Siegfried, Mime)
06. Siegfried: Act I Scene 1: Es sangen die Voglein so selig im Lenz (Siegfried, Mime)
07. Siegfried: Act I Scene 1: Einst lag wimmernd ein Weib (Mime, Siegfried)
08. Siegfried: Act I Scene 1: Das gab mir deine Mutter (Mime, Siegfried)
09. Siegfried: Act I Scene 1: Da sturmt er hin! (Mime)
10. Siegfried: Act I Scene 2: Heil dir, weiser Schmied! (Wanderer, Mime)
11. Siegfried: Act I Scene 2: Hier sitz' ich am Herd (Wanderer, Mime)
12. Siegfried: Act I Scene 2: Was zu wissen dir frommt, solltest du fragen (Wanderer, Mime)

CD2
01. Siegfried: Act I Scene 2: Nach eitlen Fernen forschtest du (Wanderer)
02. Siegfried: Act I Scene 3: Verfluchtes Licht! (Mime)
03. Siegfried: Act I Scene 3: He da! Du Fauler! (Siegfried, Mime)
04. Siegfried: Act I Scene 3: Fuhltest du nie im finstren Wald (Mime, Siegfried)
05. Siegfried: Act I Scene 3: Dann schnell! Schaffe das Schwert! (Siegfried, Mime)
06. Siegfried: Act I Scene 3: Nothung! Nothung! (Siegfried, Mime)
07. Siegfried: Act I Scene 3: Hoho! Hoho! Hahei! (Siegfried, Mime)
08. Siegfried: Act II: Vorspiel
09. Siegfried: Act II Scene 1: In Wald und Nacht vor Neidhohl' halt' ich Wacht (Alberich)
10. Siegfried: Act II Scene 1: Zur Neidhohle fuhr ich bei Nacht (Wanderer, Alberich)
11. Siegfried: Act II Scene 1: Mit mir nicht, hadre mit Mime (Wanderer, Alberich)
12. Siegfried: Act II Scene 1: Fafner, Fafner! Erwache, Wurm! (Wanderer, Alberich, Fafner)
13. Siegfried: Act II Scene 1: Nun, Alberich, das schlug fehl (Wanderer, Alberich)
14. Siegfried: Act II Scene 2: Wir sind zur Stelle! Bleib hier stehn! (Mime, Siegfried)
15. Siegfried: Act II Scene 2: Dass der mein Vater nicht ist (Siegfried)
16. Siegfried: Act II Scene 2: Du holdes Voglein (Siegfried)

CD3
01. Siegfried: Act II Scene 2: Haha! Da hatte mein Lied (Siegfried, Fafner)
02. Siegfried: Act II Scene 2: Wer bist du, kuhner Knabe (Fafner, Siegfried)
03. Siegfried: Act II Scene 2: Zur Kunde taugt kein Toter (Siegfried, Waldvogel)
04. Siegfried: Act II Scene 3: Wohin schleichst du eilig und schlau (Alberich, Mime)
05. Siegfried: Act II Scene 3: Was ihr mir nutzt, weiss ich nicht (Siegfried, Waldvogel)
06. Siegfried: Act II Scene 3: Willkommen, Siegfried! (Mime, Siegfried)
07. Siegfried: Act II Scene 3: Neides Zoll zahlt Notung (Siegfried)
08. Siegfried: Act II Scene 3: Heiss ward mir von der harten Last! (Siegfried)
09. Siegfried: Act II Scene 3: Nun sing'! Ich lausche dem Gesang (Siegfried, Waldvogel)
10. Siegfried: Act III: Vorspiel
11. Siegfried: Act III Scene 1: Wache, Wala! Wala! Erwach'! (Wanderer)
12. Siegfried: Act III Scene 1: Stark ruft das Lied (Erda, Wanderer)
13. Siegfried: Act III Scene 1: Mein Schlaf ist Traumen (Erda, Wanderer)

CD4
01. Siegfried: Act III Scene 1: Dir Unweisen ruf' ich ins Ohr (Wanderer)
02. Siegfried: Act III Scene 2: Dort seh ich Siegfried nahen (Wanderer, Siegfried)
03. Siegfried: Act III Scene 2: Wohin, Knabe, heisst dich dein Weg? (Wanderer, Siegfried)
04. Siegfried: Act III Scene 2: Geduld, du Knabe! (Wanderer, Siegfried)
05. Siegfried: Act III Scene 2: Kenntest du mich, kuhner Spross (Siegfried, Wanderer)
06. Siegfried: Act III Scene 2: Mit zerfochtner Waffe floh mir der Feige? (Siegfried)
07. Siegfried: Act III Scene 3: Selige Ode auf sonniger Hoh'! (Siegfried)
08. Siegfried: Act III Scene 3: Das ist kein Mann! (Siegfried)
09. Siegfried: Act III Scene 3: Heil dir, Sonne! Heil dir, Licht! (Brunnhilde, Siegfried)
10. Siegfried: Act III Scene 3: Siegfried! Siegfried! Seliger Held! (Brunnhilde, Siegfried)
11. Siegfried: Act III Scene 3: Dort seh' ich Grane (Brunnhilde, Siegfried)
12. Siegfried: Act III Scene 3: Kein Gott nahte mir je! (Brunnhilde, Siegfried)
13. Siegfried: Act III Scene 3: Ewig war ich, ewig bin ich (Brunnhilde, Siegfried)
14. Siegfried: Act III Scene 3: Dich lieb' ich: o liebtest mich du! (Siegfried, Brunnhilde)



The most striking aspect of this live 2011 performance of Siegfried at the Frankfurt Opera is the stellar playing by Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester, led by Sebastian Weigle. The performance is exceptionally colorful, with subtly differentiated textures. The playing frequently has the intimacy and nuance of chamber music, so Wagner's delicate filigrees of sound are finely highlighted. The brass overall, and particularly the horns, sound especially fabulous. When the orchestra is required to pull out all the stops, Weigle draws out a wonderfully powerful surge of sound that fully conveys the emotional intensity of the drama. Terje Stensvold as Der Wanderer stands out among the soloists. His authoritative bearing and resonant, oaken timbre are ideally suited to the role, and he dominates the proceedings whenever he is onstage. Peter Marsh is also very fine as Mime. His is not an especially beautiful voice, but it has plenty of power, and it's perfect for his vivid and memorable portrayal of the scheming dwarf, alternately bombastic and sniveling. Lance Ryan makes a valiant effort as Siegfried, and on its own terms his performance stands up, but he doesn't have the clarion, heroic tone or projection of the finest recorded Siegfrieds. Susan Bullock has sung all three Brunnhildes, and her voice sounds especially well-suited to lyricism of the role in this opera. Meredith Arwady has power and presence as Erda, but the extent of her vibrato may not please all listeners. Coloratura Kateryna Kasper makes a strong impression as Der Stimme des Waldvogels. Weigle and stage director Vera Nemirova draw strongly emotional performances from the singers, whose conviction contributes to the dramatic urgency of this performance. The sound is superbly detailed and well-balanced. This may not be the first or only Siegfried a listener may want to own, but the superlative orchestral playing and Stensvold's magisterial Wanderer make it a recording that fans of the opera will want to hear.

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