Looking for Wagner recommendations

Rossman is right. If you want to get a taste for Wagner without "going all in" as they say in poker, buy a CD of orchestral music from Wagner's operas. There is a 2 CD set on London/Decca (440 606-2). Sir Georg Solti and the Vienna Philharmonic. Believe me, these discs will leave you wanting more.

If you've decided you like it, then buy a complete opera. They are all great, so pick any one. Although... I wouldn't start with the Ring cycle. You'll enjoy it more if you've "worked up to it" by listening to Wagner's earlier operas and getting to know the composer. Plus, it's really long....

Cheers.

Tom

Another great Wagner conductor, though different from Solti, is Levine. The MET orchestra has recorded a few different CD's of orchestral excerpts from the operas, which are very well performed. I would suggest checking those out.

For around $50 on Ebay the excellent seller 'Sound City Beaches' are selling a Wagner 33 cd box set complete (almost)set of his Operas on the Decca label which equals about $1.60 per cd!, obviously for that price there no libretto to the Operas, so you will have to check on the web or library for the story/info. I do not think there is a cheaper way of getting into Wagner in my opinion. If you want just to buy the Ring cycle then for around $30 there is the Levine 'Ring' set on DG again by the seller 'Sound City Beaches'.
Anything Sir Georg Solti has recorded on Wagner can be considered excellent, and is the benchmark of Wagner by many.

Levine and the MET, recommended by Learsfool, would be my recommendation, but if you are looking for the really extroverted chunks in big 'audiophile approved' sound there are probably better ones. But Levine is fundamentally an opera conductor which should suggest that he loves the music and adds some drama to his interpertations consonant with what is happening on the stage.

If you want the full operas - I'll have to pass on a recommendation. I haven't heard many more than once. :-)

FWIW

you should get the one where the fat lady sings.