Wagner:
- Preludes and Interludes.
I am one of those folks who have never connected with the Wagner operas. I find them too serious, too “stuffy”, and also lacking in any humor. This might also represent some bias on my part.
Having said that, I do enjoy Wagner’s orchestral Preludes and interludes, because they represent masterful orchestrations, and they are also shorter and more “manageable”.
On this CD we get to listen to the following:
Wagner:
- Götterdämmerung: Siegfried’s Rhine Journey and Funeral March
- Die Walküre: Ride of the Valkyries
- Tristan und Isolde: Prelude & Liebestod
- Tannhäuser: Overture
- Rienzi Overture
- Das Liebesverbot Overture
- Die Feen: Overture
plus:
- Parsifal – Prelude
- Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg – Prelude
- Lohengrin – Prelude
All performed by the Philharmonia Zürich, Fabio Luisi conducting.
As I wrote above, I am not likely to sit through an entire Wager opera. However, I find that the overtures and preludes by Richard Wagner are not just the dramatic openings to his operas. Seen as independent orchestral pieces, they are also among some of the most popular compositions of the 19th century.
This recording offers a cross section through Richard Wagner’s orchestral works, and presents one of the most distinguished European opera orchestras – the Philharmonia Zürich. Let me show you some examples.
First, here is the Philharmonia Zurich with a video trailer about this music:
And finally, here’s Maestro Luisi, conducting something quite different: Beethoven’s Symphony #3, the Eroica:
Tags: Fabiol luisi, Philharmonia Zürich, Richard Wagner, Preludes, Interludes
