What is your favorite Wagner’s “Ring”?

There is no shortage of good recordings of Wagner's Ring, and no shortage of differing opinions on whose is best. For a good, detailed weighing of the merits and failings of various versions, see The Metropolitan Opera Guide to Recorded Opera, edited by Paul Gruber, Norton, 1993, 782 pages. I have parts or highlights of several versions, but the one I think is indispensable is the Solti/Vienna Philharmonic one on Decca/London. It happens to be the best-sounding one too.

How about performances by Bohm or Boulez?

Any one? Any input?

Happy Listening.

Otto

Other performances I would recommend include the Bohm lives ones from Bayreuth in the late 1960s on Philips, which have the advantage of the last great Brunnhilde, Birgit Nilsson, (she's the Brunnhilde for Solti as well), and the von Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic ones on DGG which have fine orchestral playing but some odd casting (i.e., it's something of a synthetic, hothouse production in that some of its singers can handle their parts in the recording studio but probably not in the theater).

Texasdave, thanks for your suggestion.

I will try Bohm's performance first.

Happy Listening.

Otto

For overall performances and spectacular recording, the Solti, hands down. For best possible conducting and vocals, recording quality be damned, Furtwangler at La Scala in the early 1950s.