Wagner: Lohengrin

ZEPPENFELD; VOGT; DASCH; RASILAINEN; YOUN; LANG; BAYREUTH FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA & CHORUS; NEUENFELS; NELSONS

This is a rather special Lohengrin…what you hear is imposing evidence of the rewards that result when singers galvanised by the unconventional demands of a stage director are also inspired by a conductor with the rare ability to combine formal lucidity with expressive intensity. In his first Wagner recording, Andris Nelsons confirms the golden opinions of his work in Birmingham and elsewhere: the spacious Bayreuth sound is moulded with exceptional tonal refinement and richness of colour…Vogt has more than enough stamina and vocal authority to sustain the role [Lohengrin]. All six solo singers are musically excellent and dramatically persuasive, with Petra Lang’s excoriating Ortrud and Georg Zeppenfeld’s grave yet warm-toned King Henry particularly memorable. Annette Dasch vividly conveys Elsa’s extraordinary blend of vulnerability and pig-headedness…The general air of conviction owes much to the excellent cinematography, with a variety of camera angles—including one from high above the stage—showing the resourcefulness with which video director Michael Beyer uses current technology. The main reason Andris Nelsons’s contribution stands out is that, in his case, ‘interpretation’ means achieving the best possible results with the materials Wagner himself provided. © 2012 Gramophone

Price: $57.98

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